CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC: Birmingham

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the long-term effects on the (a) regional economy and (b) creative industries in the West Midlands of the BBC’s plans to transfer work away from Birmingham.

Edward Vaizey: I have had no discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), on this matter.
	The Government support regional television production as it benefits regional economies and is good for the UK’s cultural diversity.
	Within the framework of the BBC charter, however, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for Government to intervene. The BBC is required to meet quotas for television production outside of London, but it is for the BBC to determine how the quotas are achieved.
	The BBC’s Delivering Quality First (DQF) review includes a proposal to move factual programming for BBC television and Radio 4 out of Birmingham, but to increase television production investment with independent producers in the Midlands. The Government await the conclusions of the DQF review with interest.
	The creative arts benefit from licence fee funding in a number of ways, for example, support for The Space, an exciting digital arts media project being run by the BBC in partnership with the Arts Council.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport publishes a quarterly disclosure log of all responses to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, which can found on its website at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_us/freedom_of_information/8489.aspx
	This is in line with the guidance provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). DCMS does not routinely publish the response to each request. However, where a case is of wider public interest, the response is published on DCMS’s transparency website at the following link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department publishes a breakdown of the types of work for which claims are made under the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme.

John Penrose: The Department does not publish a breakdown of the types of work for which claims are made under the Listed Places of Worship scheme. At the end of each quarter, we publish the value of the applications received and the applicable payable rate on the scheme’s website. We also send reports to the Church of England, English Heritage, Cadw, Historic Scotland and the Department of Environment Northern Ireland each quarter which provides the following detail for each places of worship relevant to each organisation that has claimed a grant:
	Name of listed place of worship
	Local authority or council
	Brief description of works
	Total grant paid.

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of claims made to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme concerned works made necessary by metal theft in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: This Department does not currently analyse claims on the scheme for repairs carried out as a result of metal theft. An analysis of claims from listed places of worship for roof repairs and leading, shows that there were 2,395 claims made between January 2011 and January 2012 (to date). From the beginning of the next financial year, we will begin to keep records of claims for repairs as a result of theft where the listed place of worship has declared this on the application form.

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what change there was in the (a) number, (b) size and (c) nature of claims made to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after the most recent changes to the scheme's eligibility criteria.

John Penrose: In October 2010, this Department announced that in line with the need to reduce public expenditure, the Listed Places of Worship scheme would return to the original scope of the scheme in the final quarter of 2010-11 and claims for professional fees and repairs to organs, pews, bells and clocks would be ineligible. These changes came into effect on 4 January 2011. The difference in the number and size of claims made on the scheme between January 2010 and December 2010 and between January 2011 and December 2011 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 January to December 2010 analysis 
			 Value Number of claims Value of payments (£) 
			 £1 to £10,000 3,840 9,599,198.50 
			 £10,000.01 to £20,000 289 3,869,553.57 
			 £20,000.01 to £30,000 58 1,393,308.58 
			 £30,000.01 to £40,000 17 580,226.34 
			 £40,000.01 to £100,000 19 1,095,704.58 
			 £100,000.01+ 1 136,975.45 
			 Total 4,224 16,674,967.02 
		
	
	
		
			 January to December 2011 analysis 
			 Value Number of claims Value of payments (£) 
			 £1 to £10,000 3,278 7,513,188.36 
			 £10,000.01 to £20,000 205 2,843,506.03 
			 £20,000.01 to £30,000 40 994,074.67 
			 £30,000.01 to £40,000 16 557,052.27 
			 £40,000.01 to £100,000 16 961,742.64 
			 £.100,000.01+ 5 842,283.69 
			 Total 3,560 13,711,847.66 
		
	
	Following the announcement in October 2010, the scheme received a very high volume of claims as claimants submitted their applications before the changes to the scheme were introduced. There have been no notable changes to the nature of claims made after January 2011 apart from the ineligible works no longer being claimed.

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent consideration he has given to undertaking a review of the ways in which the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme has operated following the recent changes to its eligibility criteria.

John Penrose: The changes to the eligibility of claims in the Listed Places of Worship scheme were introduced in January 2011 as a result of the need to reduce public expenditure and make efficiency savings on the scheme. A range of options were considered and stakeholders and faith groups were consulted ahead of this decision. There are no current plans to review this decision or its implications.

Monuments: Parliament Square

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on what date each statue in Parliament square was erected; what legislation governs the location of statues in Parliament square; what statues have been proposed for Parliament Square since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The care, control, management and regulation of the central garden of Parliament square are the responsibility of the Greater London Authority (GLA). This Department does not collate information on these statues but information about the square, including its statues, is available on the GLA website:
	http://www.london.gov.uk/parliamentsquare/about/statues.jsp
	Section 5 of the Public Statues and (Metropolis) Act 1854 requires the consent of the Secretary of State to be obtained before a statue can be erected in a public place in the Metropolitan Police District of London (now, the area of Greater London, excluding the City of London, the inner Temple and the middle Temple).

Music: USA

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the US embassy and (b) US Citizenship and Immigration Services on the ability of UK musicians to obtain visas to tour or perform in the US.

Edward Vaizey: This Department, together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is liaising closely with the US Administration as a whole on a range of issues around visas for UK musicians. The most recent meeting was in December and further meetings are planned. I am grateful to representatives from across the UK music industry for their support in informing these discussions.

Music: USA

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with music industry representatives on the ability of musicians who wish to perform in the US to obtain a visa.

Edward Vaizey: My officials hosted a meeting with representatives of the UK music industry to discuss US visa issues on 15 December. The issue was also discussed at a meeting of the music industry's International Strategy Group on 18 January. We will continue to pursue the interests of UK musicians through dialogue with all interested parties.

National Lottery

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the ratio of income from lottery ticket sales to funds dispensed from the National Lottery in each region was in each of the last five years.

John Penrose: The National Lottery operator, Camelot, collects regional sales data based on their sales regions, which do not map to formal geographic regions and does not include a regional online sales breakdown. These regions are not comparable with those used for the location of Lottery grants awarded on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) Lottery Grants Database, so this information is not available.
	Lottery funding is based on good causes and the impact it can have, not the location of ticket sales. Funding is awarded by the Lottery distributing bodies in response to competitive applications and taking account of their policy directions. DCMS's Lottery Grants Database, which uses information provided by the Lottery distributing bodies, provides details of Lottery grants that have been made, and is searchable online at:
	www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
	http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk

Olympic Games 2012: Mass Media

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 10W, on Olympic Games 2012: mass media, what steps he is taking to ensure regional media outlets receive accreditation to cover the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: Further to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 10W, the International Olympic Committee has agreed to award a small number of additional accreditations to the British Olympic Association specifically for a local media representative for the venue in their area.

Sport: Young People

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what studies his Department has conducted on the effect of participation in sport on levels of youth crime.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England and UK Sport's Value of Sport monitor includes a review of research into the relationship between sport and crime reduction. Further information can be found at the following link:
	http://www.sportengland.org/research/idoc.ashx?docid=462f0317-d81b-4ff2-936d-4fee8d17ad5d&version=-1
	DCMS have not conducted or commissioned studies focusing on this specifically although the Culture and Sport Evidence Programme (CASE) has considered this indirectly by looking at learning impacts of culture and sport on young people. The Olympics meta-evaluation will assess the impact of the Olympics and associated legacy programmes on a range of social indicators in East London, including crime rates. In addition, individual legacy projects and programmes, where they have objectives to reduce youth crime, will use that as a criteria in their evaluations.

Sports: Racial Discrimination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to tackle racism in sport; and whether he has set any targets.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England ensures that all national governing bodies that receive public funding must sign up to the Equality Standard for Sport and they have produced guidelines on how governing bodies of sport should deal with incidents of racial abuse in competitive sport settings. Sport England also continues to invest in the work that Sporting Equals does to promote ethnic diversity across all sport.
	We have also welcomed the Select Committee's decision to hold an inquiry on racism in football and we will support it in any way we can. The findings from this inquiry should offer lessons that can be applied across all sport.

Trade Promotion: China

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department is giving to the UK Now promotion of UK culture in China.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is working closely with the British Council and other public and private partners to ensure the success of the UK Now Festival in China. Many of the cultural organisations participating in UK Now receive public funding either directly from DCMS or through Arts Council England. I welcome the significant contribution business sponsors will make to UK Now, in cash and in kind. I am confident that UK Now will help to demonstrate the best of British culture to audiences across China, and further strengthen the export prospects for our creative industries.

Voluntary Organisations

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what contribution his Department is making to implementation of the Compact with the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport signed up to the renewed Compact, published in December 2010. To ensure that the Compact is being implemented, we have nominated a senior responsible officer, and a civil society liaison officer responsible for day to day oversight of this area of work. We also monitor consultation lengths, to ensure they are 12 weeks where possible, and Compact compliance via the number of complaints we have received on this issue. We recently participated in the National Audit Office’s review of the National Compact implementation and will ensure that the findings of this review inform our departmental business plan for 2012-13.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Combined Heat and Power

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the findings of the economic modelling analysis by the Combined Heat and Power Association of the effects of policy changes on the industry.

Gregory Barker: The Government are currently assessing the Combined Heat and Power Association's analysis and are working closely with the Association and other stakeholders on this. I have recently established a Distributed Energy Contact Group to look into these issues among others.

Energy

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what comparative assessment he has made of the cost (a) effectiveness and (b) efficiency of different sources of power generation.

Charles Hendry: In recent years Government have commissioned several studies of the costs of different generation technologies to inform policy decisions.
	The most recent information about generation costs can be found in the following two reports which are available on the DECC website:
	A report by PB Power (2011) which focuses on non-renewables technologies can be found at:
	www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/about-us/economics-social-research/2127-electricity-generation-cost-model-2011.pdf
	A report by Arup/EY (2011) which focuses on renewable technologies can to be found at:
	www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/ro-banding/3237-cons-ro-banding-arup-report.pdf
	Annex A of the PB Power report and Annex D of the Arup report include tables (replicated here for selected technologies) showing the levelised costs estimates of electricity generation for projects starting in 2011 and 2017 for different generating technologies:
	
		
			 Table 1:10% discount rate, 2011 project start at today's EPC (2)  prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK (3) 
			  PB Power (2011) Arup/EY(2011) 
			  CCGT NOAK CCGT with CCS FOAK ASC NOAK ASC with CCS FOAK Nuclear FOAK Dedicated Biomass >50MW Offshore >100MW Onshore 5MW> 
			 Capital costs 9.0 35.0 22.2 59.6 55.5 40.6 83.0 70.9 
			 Fixed operating costs 2.9 5.5 5.1 9.6 11.0 15.1 37.0 16.6 
			 Variable operating costs 0.1 0.6 1.0 2.5 0.6 4.5 1.6 2.7 
			 Carbon costs 18.1 2.4 47.8 5.7 — — — — 
			 Fuel costs 46.5 57.5 19.3 23.1 5.0 84.3 — — 
			 Decomm and waste fund — — — — 2.0  — — 
			 CO2 transport and storage — 3.8 — 7.8 — — — — 
			 Total 76.6 104.8 95.4 108.3 74.1 144.6 121.6 90.2 
			 (1) The discounted lifetime generation cost per megawatt-hour of electricity produced. (2 )Engineering, Procurement and Construction. (3) First of a Kind and Nth of a Kind. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: 10% discount rate, 2017 start at projected EPC prices, all NOAK 
			  PB Power (2011) Arup/EY (2011) 
			  CCGT CCGT with CCS ASC ASC with CCS Nuclear Dedicated Biomass >50MW Offshore >100MW Onshore >5MW 
			 Capital costs 9.0 22.9 22.2 45.7 48.0 39.6 72.6 68.2 
			 Fixed operating costs 2.9 4.7 5.1 8.2 9.4 14.7 32.0 16.6 
			 Variable operating costs 0.1 0.5 1.0 2.1 0.5 4.4 1.2 2.7 
			 Carbon costs 27.8 4.1 69.3 8.6 — — — — 
			 Fuel costs 48.6 59.5 19.3 23.2 5.0 84.3 — — 
			 Decomm and waste fund — — — — 2.0 — — — 
			 CO2 transport and storage — 3.1 — 6.3 — — — — 
			 Total 88.4 94.8 116.9 94.1 64.9 143.0 105.7 87.5 
		
	
	It should be noted that the estimates of levelised costs for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.

Energy

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy was imported in each of the last five years; from what sources such imports were obtained; and what estimate he has made of the likely levels of such imports in each of the next five years.

Charles Hendry: The following tables sourced from DUKES 2011, show net imports to the UK as a share of supply by fuel type for each of the last five years. Data for 2011 are not yet available.
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Coal and Manufactured fuels 76 69 75 78 51 
			 Oil and petroleum products 9 2 9 8 15 
			 Natural gas 12 20 26 32 38 
			 Renewable and waste 10 7 18 20 23 
			 Electricity 2 1 3 1 1 
			 Total import 21 21 26 27 28 
		
	
	The following four tables, show the import shares by country for the main fuels.
	
		
			 Coal 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 European Union (percentage) 3 1 2 3 4 
			 Australia (percentage) 8 10 9 8 12 
			 Colombia (percentage) 8 9 12 14 24 
			 Republic of South Africa (percentage) 25 18 10 8 3 
			 Russia (percentage) 45 47 49 49 37 
			 USA (percentage) 4 6 10 12 17 
			 Other countries (percentage) 7 8 8 6 3 
			       
			 Total import (thousand tonnes) 50,528 43,364 43,875 38,167 26,521 
		
	
	
		
			 Crude oil 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Norway (percentage) 62 65 63 65 68 
			 Russia (percentage) 17 14 10 8 8- 
			 OPEC (percentage) 11 14 18 16 15 
			 Others (percentage) 10 7 8 11 10 
			       
			 Total import (thousand tonnes) 51,447 49,893 51,466 47,104 47,497 
		
	
	
		
			 Petroleum products 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Netherlands (percentage) 16 15 19 16 28 
			 Belgium (percentage) 6 10 7 10 9 
			 France (percentage) 10 11 7 6 3 
			 Sweden (percentage) 5 8 11 6 7 
			 Kuwait (percentage) 6 10 7 6 6 
			 Russian Federation (percentage) 4 5 6 9 8 
			 Other (percentage) 52 41 42 46 39 
			       
			 Total import (thousand tonnes) 26,828 25,093 24,186 22,407 24,210 
		
	
	
		
			 Gas 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Belgium(1 )(percentage) 13 2 3 2 2 
			 Netherlands(2 )(percentage) 4 24 23 16 15 
			 Norway (via pipeline) (percentage) 67 70 72 58 48 
		
	
	
		
			 LNG—Qatar (percentage) 0.3 1 — 14 28 
			 LNG—Other (percentage) 16 4 2 11 8 
			       
			 Total import (gigawatt hour) 234,251 323,740 395,371 448,491 581,284 
			 (1) Physical flows through the Bacton-Zeebrugge Interconnector. (2) Via the Bacton-Balgzand (BBL) pipeline. 
		
	
	The following table shows implied net import dependence for fossil fuels based on the latest central UEP demand and production projections; for oil and gas these are as published at
	http://og.decc.gov.uk/en/olgs/cms/data_maps/field_data/field_data.aspx
	
		
			 Net import 
			 Percentage 
			  2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 
			 Coal 66 68 67 69 66 
			 Oil 24 27 29 32 35 
			 Gas 45 44 45 45 46 
			 Total fossil fuels 40 41 42 44 45

Energy: Prices

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 679W, on energy: prices, which energy companies he has met to discuss the cost of energy; when he met them; and what assurances he received from each company.

Charles Hendry: Ministers and officials meet regularly with the stakeholders mentioned above to discuss a range of issues. Quarterly lists of DECC Ministers' meetings that involve outside interested parties are published on the DECC website, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx

Feed-in Tariffs

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his Department’s Electricity Market Reform paper, what assessment he has made of the merits of (a) demand side reduction and (b) energy efficiency schemes receiving support through the proposed feed-in tariff with contract for difference.

Charles Hendry: In “Planning our electric future: a white paper for secure, affordable and low-carbon electricity”, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/white_papers/emr_wp_2011/emr_wp_2011.aspx
	DECC committed to assessing whether further steps are needed to improve the support and incentives for efficient use of electricity. This assessment, to be completed by summer 2012, will include consideration of the use of proposed EMR instruments such as a feed-in tariff with contract for difference to incentivise permanent reductions in demand.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Gregory Barker: DECC does not currently publish any responses to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	From March 2012 DECC will publish on its website responses to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 likely to stimulate public interest, including details of expenditure not routinely published as part of the Transparency agenda. Where possible, publication will be simultaneous with providing the response. DECC will also publish a list of all requests received with a brief description of the subject matter.

Fuels: Prices

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations his Department has received about variations in fuel prices within (a) Worcestershire and (b) the West Midlands.

Charles Hendry: The Department has received no representations about variations in fuel prices within Worcestershire or the west midlands.

Green Deal Scheme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential reduction in carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: The Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) consultation was published on 23 November 2011. The Government's assessment of the impact of these policies was published in the accompanying draft impact assessment:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/green-deal/3603-green-deal-eco-ia.pdf
	Under the central policy scenario in this assessment, the total CO2 savings over the lifetime of the installed measures was estimated at 114MtCO2 and 53 MtCO2 for non-traded and traded savings respectively.
	Traded carbon emissions are those covered by the EU emissions trading scheme, which covers electricity generation and some industrial processes. Energy savings in properties with electric heating therefore lead to a saving in traded CO2 emissions, while energy savings in properties with non-electric heating systems lead to savings in non-traded CO2 emissions.

Green Deal Scheme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with insulation (a) providers and (b) installers in the last six months on the implementation of the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: Over the last six months, the Department has engaged extensively with a large number of companies and organisations across the supply chain, including insulation suppliers and installers represented on the Green Deal stakeholder forums.
	In addition, organisations with an interest in the Green Deal have had the opportunity to respond the formal consultation, launched in November 2011.
	We will continue the process of engagement in the run up to the launch of the Green Deal.

Green Deal Scheme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the case for the introduction of a transition period to allow more cavities and lofts to be insulated following the introduction of the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation.

Gregory Barker: The Green Deal consultation document considered the delivery of loft and cavity insulation under our proposals for Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation, and was accompanied by a detailed impact assessment. We have received over 600 responses to the consultation, including a number which discuss transition arrangements. The Department is now analysing the responses.
	We will set out our final position and supporting analysis in the Government response to the consultation and the final impact assessment.

Green Deal Scheme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation.

Gregory Barker: I meet ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) regularly to discuss areas of mutual interest and my officials are in regular contact with policy and analytical colleagues.
	In addition, BIS is represented on the Green Deal Capacity and Innovation Forum, chaired by the Chief Construction Adviser.

Green Deal Scheme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people were questioned on potential take-up of the Green Deal in order to produce scenarios set out in the impact assessment for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation.

Gregory Barker: A survey of a representative sample of 2,023 owner occupiers and private tenants across Great Britain was conducted to understand the potential response to the Green Deal.
	Findings from a sub-sample of 1,395 people were the basis for the scenarios set out in the impact assessment for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. The sample was smaller because it excluded people who did not have any potential to install loft, solid or cavity wall insulation, underfloor heating or a condensing boiler in their properties.

Infrastructure

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reason demand-side management support from the proposed capacity mechanism was not included in the National Infrastructure Plan.

Charles Hendry: The “National Infrastructure Plan 2011”, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/national_infrastructure_plan2011.htm
	was published by HM Treasury in November 2011 and sets out a plan for the UK’s infrastructure. Electricity Market Reform, which includes proposals for the establishment of a capacity mechanism, was cited as one of the major dependencies for the UK’s energy systems.
	Since publication of the National Infrastructure Plan, DECC has published a Technical Update, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/white_papers/emr_wp_2011/tech_update/tech_update.aspx
	to the Electricity Market Reform White Paper. The Technical Update stated that the capacity mechanism will be market-wide, and based on ensuring a required volume of capacity—a Capacity Market. It also reiterated that Government are keen that verifiable demand-side response can play a fair and equivalent role to generation in the Capacity Market, and will determine how to achieve this in the detailed design phase.

Members: Correspondence

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse of 28 November 2011 on the Renewables Obligation Review.

Charles Hendry: I replied to the hon. Member on 30 January 2012.

Meters

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures are in place to monitor whether costs associated with the national smart meter roll-out are passed on to consumers.

Charles Hendry: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 26 January 2012, Official Report, column 316W, to the hon. Member for Stockton North (Alex Cunningham).

Petroplus: Insolvency

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of Petroplus going into administration on (a) refining capacity and (b) petrol supply in the UK; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of Petroplus going into administration on (a) competitiveness and (b) research and development capability in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: On appointment, the Administrator PWC made it clear that its immediate priority is to continue to operate the Coryton refinery and Teesside storage business while the financial position is clarified and restructuring options explored.
	Ministers and officials are fully engaged with the Administrator and other interested parties. We are keen to secure a sustainable future for refinery operations at Coryton and other Petroplus sites in the UK. We continue to have close contact with the refinery, its major customers, trade unions and local MPs. We are talking to the Administrator to understand how best Government can support the identification of buyers for the sites.
	Supply companies have alternative arrangements to ensure adequate supplies of oil products are available. The Administrator announced on 26 January that it had entered into agreements which will result in the commencement of shipments of refined oil products from the Coryton site with immediate effect.

Renewable Energy

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to meet its targets for renewable energy generation.

Gregory Barker: The Renewable Energy Roadmap (published in July 2011) sets out a targeted plan of actions for eight key technologies, in order to meet our 15% renewable energy target. The Roadmap includes illustrative "central ranges" for these key technologies and while they do not represent technology specific targets or the level of our ambition, they do show what could be deployed by 2020.
	We are making progress on the actions in the Roadmap to remove non-financial barriers—including reform of the planning system, taking steps to reduce grid barriers, and working with aviation and wind stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation of wind farm interference with aviation radar.

Solar Power: Council Housing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure individual council tenants are able to benefit from the use of solar panels on their property.

Gregory Barker: How the benefits of FITs is shared by landlords and tenants in any circumstances is a matter for agreement between them. We would expect that social landlords would allow tenants at least the benefit of the electricity generated and used on site.

Voluntary Organisations

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contribution his Department is making to implementation of the Compact with the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) signed up to the renewed Compact published in December 2010.
	DECC has strong working relationships with many civil society organisations. These relationships respect the Compact principle of a strong, diverse and independent civil society. For example, the Department recently launched a new £10 million Local Energy Assessment Fund launched specifically to help local communities develop energy projects.
	DECC has made it mandatory to advertise all procurement requirements above £10,000 on Contracts Finder ensuring that opportunities are available in the public domain for SME's and civil society groups.
	DECC has a nominated Civil Society champion, and a civil society liaison officer and participated in the NAO's review of the National Compact implementation.

Wind Power

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what comparative assessment his Department has made of the permitted distance between dwellings and onshore wind turbines in the UK and other EU member states.

Charles Hendry: The approach taken to wind turbine development in the UK is to assess the potential impacts of proposals on a case by case basis. Such assessments will include, for example, possible impacts of noise and shadow flicker on dwellings in the vicinity of the proposed development, and will be informed by Government guidance.
	An independent study commissioned by DECC and published in March 2011 showed that the Government’s current guidance on the ‘distance’ parameter used for the assessment of ‘shadow flicker’ is broadly consistent with that of different European countries.
	In addition, DECC published an independent report in July 2011 which found that current Government guidance are appropriate for assessing the noise impacts from wind farms, and recommended that good practice advice should be produced to confirm, and where necessary, clarify the way the guidance should be implemented in practice. The Institute of Acoustics is taking forward work to develop such advice.

Wind Power

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidance his Department gives on payments to wind turbine owners when they are ordered to shut down by the National Grid during periods of high winds.

Charles Hendry: Reducing or increasing output is a normal part of National Grid's role in balancing electricity supply and demand, and wind is treated like any other generator in this respect. Less than 10% of all payments made to generators to alter their output to resolve network constraints ('constraint payments') in 2011 were made to wind farms. The Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) defines the rules for electricity balancing and settlement in GB. It is governed by the BSC Panel, which comprises a Chairman appointed by Ofgem as well as industry, independent and consumer members. Ofgem will take the final decision on any BSC modification proposals, having received a recommendation from the BSC Panel.
	The Government recognise that no generator of any type should receive an excessive benefit from network constraints, so we are currently consulting on the introduction of a Transmission Constraint Licence Condition later this year which will help to tackle this. In parallel, Ofgem is consulting on guidance as to how it will interpret and enforce the licence condition. Planned upgrades to the transmission network will take effect from 2013 onwards, and will also ease constraints.

Wind Power: Birds

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with countryside bodies on wind turbines and their potential effect on the migration of birds.

Charles Hendry: All DECC Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx
	My officials meet regularly with countryside bodies and other organisations, such as the statutory nature conservation agencies, to discuss the impacts of wind turbines on the environment, including potential effects on migratory birds.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Reed Beds

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much reed is imported for thatching and panel fencing.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the collection of data on imports of goods into the United Kingdom. It is not possible to identify the quantity of reed imported into the UK from the data held.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Algeria: Christianity

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to address discrimination against Christians in Algeria.

Alistair Burt: I met Algerian Church leaders on 26 October in London to discuss their concerns and assessment of the current situation. The British embassy in Algiers monitors the situation closely and maintains contact with Christian leaders. The EU raises the subject of freedom of religion in their political dialogue with Algeria.
	The law in Algeria allows Christians living in Algeria to practise their religion, including the freedom to worship in churches and to form associations, provided that places of worship and preachers are registered with the authorities. The laws on religious property apply to all religious groups. Since the laws came into effect they have led to the closure of some unauthorised places of worship, including those of Christian groups and a large number of mosques which had not achieved the correct approvals. We continue to monitor the enforcement of the religious laws, including variations between regions.

Arrest Warrants

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government has made inquiries with another sovereign nation’s government on whether that government would comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant in the last 10 years.

David Lidington: The British Government, together with European Union partners, regularly raises the importance of states providing full co-operation with investigations being carried out by the International Criminal Court (ICC), including the issue of the enforcement of the Court’s arrest warrants. Our view is that all countries should co-operate with the ICC in its investigations in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the particular legal obligations of States Party to the Rome Statute. Most recently, we raised with the Government of Libya, our concerns about a visit on 7 January to Libya by Sudanese President al-Bashir who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant. Another recent example is the statement made in October by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), expressing similar concerns following a visit by President Bashir to Malawi.

Belarus: Political Prisoners

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the health of Andrei Sannikov; and what representations he has made to the government of Belarus on this issue.

David Lidington: I receive regular reports from our embassy in Minsk and from the sister of Mr Sannikov, whom I have met on several occasions—most recently on 19 December. I am deeply concerned by the news of Mr Sannikov's ill health and reports that he has been isolated from external contact for long periods and only recently granted access to his lawyer again.
	On 28 September, I made a statement about our concerns and called on Belarus to reassure us that Mr Sannikov and fellow political prisoner, Zmitser Dashkevich, were receiving adequate medical treatment, and being treated in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1988. We have made a number of direct representations to the Belarusian authorities both in Minsk and London about the circumstances in which political prisoners are being held in Belarus.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the conduct of the recent presidential election in that country; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has not had any direct discussions with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), has called publicly for the DRC Government to address concerns over irregularities reported during the elections and the conduct of the security forces during the elections.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the repression of opposition parties; and what monitoring of the political situation in that country since the elections in November 2011 has been undertaken by his Department.

David Lidington: Throughout the elections, the United Kingdom, through our embassy in Kinshasa, lobbied the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) authorities to ensure that all candidates could campaign freely, and would receive fair access to the media. Following the elections, our ambassador in Kinshasa has met senior figures in the DRC security forces and pressed them to conduct themselves professionally and proportionately when dealing with Opposition demonstrators. He also met Government and Opposition figures to encourage dialogue and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
	We are monitoring closely political developments in the DRC through our embassy in Kinshasa.

Diplomatic Relations

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on improving co-ordination between defence diplomacy and the Government’s wider diplomatic efforts to ensure national objectives are delivered.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), meet regularly in the National Security Council and other fora to discuss how to use all the levers of government to achieve our objectives. Last March, both Secretaries of State agreed to produce jointly a Defence Engagement Strategy to ensure we exploit fully the opportunities that our defence assets and activities provide for the adjustment of our wider international objectives. This strategy is being reviewed by Ministers and an announcement will be made in the House in the coming weeks.

EU Presidency

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with the Government of Denmark to discuss the energy and climate change priorities of the Danish presidency of the EU.

David Lidington: The UK Government have close and extensive contact with the Danish Government at all levels on energy and climate change issues, including in the context of Denmark's EU presidency. FCO officials visited Copenhagen in July and September 2011. Early thinking on energy and climate change issues for their EU presidency was part of those discussions. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), discussed energy and climate change issues with the Danish Foreign Minister in London in November, as did I when I met the Danish Minister for Europe, Nicolai Wammen, in October 2011. Our embassy in Copenhagen maintains a close and regular dialogue both with the Danish Government and with Danish businesses on these issues. There is also extensive contact between the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Danish Ministry for Climate and Energy.

European Court of Human Rights

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2012, Official Report, column 62W, on the European Court of Human Rights, if he will establish a protocol in respect of observations of cases affecting UK citizens to ensure that Ministers are consulted on the substance of observations before they are presented to the Court; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: Decisions on consulting Ministers are for the lead Government Department to take in each case. The need to do so will be assessed by the relevant Department in the light of all the circumstances of the case.

Gibraltar: Sovereignty

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on Gibraltar.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has had no discussions with his newly elected Spanish counterpart on Gibraltar.
	The UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes. Furthermore, the UK will not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

Nigeria: British Nationals Abroad

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to his Department's recent travel advice on the city of Kano in Nigeria, what guidance he can give to UK citizens currently in the region.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises all UK citizens in Nigeria regularly to check our travel advice website at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria
	Our travel advice is frequently updated in the light of our assessment of potential threats and dangers to British citizens. Following the series of attacks in Kano city on 20 January, our Nigeria travel advice currently states that:
	“we advise against all but essential travel to Kano city. Those in Kano city should remain vigilant and exercise caution.”
	We also advise British nationals to register with our LOCATE service when travelling abroad at:
	https://www.locate.fco.gov.uk/locateportal/

Nigeria: Fossil Fuels

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Nigeria on fossil fuel subsidy reform.

David Lidington: The removal of the fuel subsidy in Nigeria is an internal matter and the effects of removing or reducing it are for the Nigerian Government to manage. However, the British Government have encouraged the Nigerian Government to pursue sound and effective economic reform plans accompanied by fiscal transparency. Removing the fuel subsidy is a valid economic objective which would allow the Nigerian Government to spend more on infrastructure and development projects to the benefit of the Nigerian public. Overall, Britain has strongly supported the G20 initiative to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

Somalia: Press Freedom

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the death of Abdisalan Sheik Hassan in Somalia.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is deeply concerned about the death of Abdisalan Sheik Hassan, a journalist in Somalia. We unreservedly condemn the murder, intimidation or mistreatment of any journalist. The circumstances surrounding the murder of Abdisalan Sheik Hassan in Somalia were particularly disturbing and we have received a number of uncorroborated reports on his death.
	The British Government continue to press for adherence to basic principles of human rights in Somalia, including respect for freedom of the press.

Somalia: Press Freedom

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential risks to journalists working in Somalia.

David Lidington: We are deeply concerned about the risks faced by journalists working in Somalia. We continue to consider Somalia one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to operate in. The British Government have expressed grave concern about the human rights situation in Somalia and are working with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and regional administrations to improve freedom of reporting in Somalia. We also continue to engage with Somali journalists to better understand the difficulties they face and how we might support them in their important work.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of the Government’s policy on Turkey.

David Lidington: The Government’s Strategic Partnership with Turkey directly contributes to the UK’s and Turkey’s security and prosperity. We are making good progress towards the Prime Minister’s goal of doubling trade within five years of his visit to Turkey in 2010—trade figures for 2011 show an increase of 40% since 2009. We will continue to develop our already close collaboration on security issues in those regions where the UK and Turkey share significant interests, including the middle east, north Africa and Afghanistan-Pakistan. The UK and Turkey will also implement new defence agreements on training and defence acquisition, signed during the State visit, and develop our active programme of co-operation to counter irregular migration and organised crime.

Turkey: Minority Groups

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made representations to the Government of Turkey on the treatment of Kurdish minorities in that country since 28 December 2011.

David Lidington: Her Majesty's Government have not made any specific representations to the Government of Turkey on the treatment of Kurds since 28 December 2011. We regret the tragic deaths of 35 civilians in an airstrike in Uludere on 28 December. We welcome the Turkish Government's decision to launch an immediate official inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
	While we support Turkey's efforts to tackle terrorism, we have called on them to take all possible measures to avoid the potential for harm to civilians. Together with our EU partners, we encourage Turkey to make progress on respect for, and tolerance of, minority groups, including the Kurds. Current plans for a new constitution are an important opportunity to address these issues.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Civil Disorder

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to meet the costs of claims to police authorities of claims by businesses and individuals under the provisions of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 arising from the public disorder of 2011.

Nick Herbert: The Prime Minister's comments following the August disorder indicated that the Government were ready to support the police with the costs of the riots. We have now confirmed that police authorities will receive 100% of the payments made under the Riot (Damages) Act and 85% of operational policing costs. We will consider later in year, once final costs are known, if additional payments can be made in respect of operational costs incurred. We are working with affected police authorities to ensure they receive prompt payment.

Crime: Arrests

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people were arrested for possession of a knife in each police force area of England and Wales in each quarter since January 2010;
	(2)  how many people were arrested on suspicion of robbery in each police force area of England Wales in each quarter since January 2010;
	(3)  how many people were arrested for burglary in each police force area of England and Wales in each quarter since January 2010.

Theresa May: holding answer 20 January 2012
	Available data relate to the number of persons arrested for burglary and robbery in each police force area of England and Wales between 1 January and 31 March 2010, and are provided in the following table.
	Arrests data are provided to the Home Office at offence group level, for example, violence against the person and drug offences. As such, it is not possible to identify separately arrests for the possession of knives.
	Arrests data are published annually on a financial year basis, and the latest arrests chapter can be found in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales, 2009/10’. This is available online:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb0711/
	and in the Library of the House. Data for 2010-11 are scheduled to be published in April 2012.
	
		
			 Persons arrested for burglary and robbery between 1 January and 31 March 2010 by police force area, England and Wales 
			 Number 
			 Police force area Robbery Burglary 
			 Cleveland 97 613 
			 Durham 32 375 
			 Northumbria 129 828 
			 North East region 258 1,816 
			    
		
	
	
		
			 Cheshire 87 351 
			 Cumbria 18 166 
			 Greater Manchester 640 1,423 
			 Lancashire 92 716 
			 Merseyside 224 723 
			 North West region 1,061 3,379 
			    
			 Humberside 92 448 
			 North Yorkshire 106 415 
			 South Yorkshire 158 600 
			 West Yorkshire 523 1,681 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber region 879 3,144 
			    
			 Derbyshire 146 398 
			 Leicestershire 119 464 
			 Lincolnshire 24 157 
			 Northamptonshire 127 313 
			 Nottinghamshire 230 656 
			 East Midlands region 646 1,988 
			    
			 Staffordshire 124 416 
			 Warwickshire 43 141 
			 West Mercia 87 331 
			 West Midlands 276 531 
			 West Midlands region 530 1,419 
			    
			 Bedfordshire 103 168 
			 Cambridgeshire 52 256 
			 Essex 158 565 
			 Hertfordshire 112 271 
			 Norfolk 53 198 
			 Suffolk 44 246 
			 East of England region 522 1,704 
			    
			 London, City of 7 23 
			 Metropolitan police 2,907 2,874 
			 London region 2,914 2,897 
			    
			 Hampshire 189 679 
			 Kent 142 683 
			 Surrey 88 214 
			 Sussex 129 385 
			 Thames Valley 294 816 
			 South East region 842 2,777 
			    
			 Avon and Somerset 170 613 
			 Devon and Cornwall 57 399 
			 Dorset 32 252 
			 Gloucestershire 38 167 
			 Wiltshire 80 175 
			 South West region 377 1,606 
			    
			 England total 8,029 20,730 
			    
			 Dyfed-Powys 9 184 
			 Gwent 32 272 
		
	
	
		
			 North Wales 43 281 
			 South Wales 129 597 
			 Wales total 213 1,334 
			    
			 England and Wales 8,242 22,064

Entry Clearances

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the application for leave to remain Ref. K418847 of a constituent of the hon. Member for Vauxhall to be resolved.

Damian Green: The case of K418847 was resolved on 24 January 2012. The decision was dispatched to the hon. Member's constituent on the same day.

Extradition

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration her Department has given to the use of (a) Interpol red notices and (b) other Interpol notices as a means of detaining people with a view to extraditing them from the UK.

Damian Green: An Interpol Red Notice is not formally recognised within the UK and carries no power of arrest. Where a Red Notice was from a state that was designated for the purposes of extradition under Part 1 or 2 of the Extradition Act 2003, it would be open to the police to treat it, where appropriate, as a request for detention with a view to extradition from the UK. Any state that was not so designated would have to pursue a request for detention with a view to extradition through diplomatic channels. There are no other Interpol notices that enable detention with a view to extradition.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office publishes, in a specific part of its website, information released in response to freedom of information requests where the information is likely to be of wider interest to members of the public. We do not publish responses in the many cases where the released information is of relevance only to the requester, or where the information requested is either not held or is withheld under one or more of the exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act.
	Responses to requests handled by the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau are published separately on the two agencies' own sites.
	The average time between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website is not held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many spouses of the (a) sons and (b) daughters of applicants were allowed entry into the UK in the most recent year for which information is available;
	(2)  how many people entered the UK because they were the unmarried partner of an applicant in the most recent year for which information is available;
	(3)  how many (a) fathers, (b) mothers, (c) brothers and (d) sisters of an applicant's spouse were allowed entry into the UK in the most recent year for which information is available;
	(4)  how many (a) spouses, (b) fathers, (c) mothers, (d) sons, (e) daughters, (f) grandfathers, (g) grandmothers, (h) grandsons, (i) granddaughters, (j) brothers, (k) sisters, (l) uncles, (m) aunts, (n) nephews, (o) nieces and (p) first cousins of applicants for entry into the UK were allowed entry in the most recent year for which information is available;
	(5)  how many (a) stepfathers (b) stepmothers, (c) stepsons, (d) stepdaughters, (e) stepbrothers and (f) stepsisters of applicants were allowed entry into the UK in the most recent year for which information is available.

Damian Green: The data shown are available on the Home Office website. A breakdown of the specific family categories asked for is not available beyond that in the following. The data provided are for entry clearance visas issued in the Family Route category (to settlement) in each of the four quarters from October 2010 to September 2011.
	The data does not include figures for those dependants issued with visas through other available entry clearance routes to the UK.
	The figures represent those granted entry clearance, not the number entering the UK.
	Figures for the last four quarters are as follows:
	
		
			  Q4 2010 Q1 2011 Q2 2011 Q3 2011 
			 Partner 10,831 8,562 7,036 9,856 
			 Partner for settlement (ILE(1)) 354 309 380 397 
			 Child 25 21 33 26 
			 Child for settlement (ILE(1)) 1,318 1,340 1,081 1,214 
			 Other 1,354 1,324 925 1,134 
			 Other for settlement (ILE(1)) 563 474 526 520 
			 (1) ILE: Indefinite Leave to Enter. Note: Other is defined as not children or the partners of the main applicant, but dependants of the main applicant. Source: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-tabs-q3-2011/?view=Standard&publD=962325

Immigration Controls: Croatia

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to introduce transitional immigration controls for Croatian nationals in the event of Croatia joining the EU.

Damian Green: It is the Government's policy that they will apply transitional controls as a matter of course for all new member states.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police officers have been reprimanded as a result of Independent Police Complaints Commission investigations prompted by complaints in respect of sudden deaths in the last five years;
	(2)  what information her Department holds on the average cost of Independent Police Complaints Commission investigations into deaths;
	(3)  how much the Independent Police Complaints Commission has spent on investigating complaints into the actions of police forces with regard to sudden deaths in the last five years.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. These matters are for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC has written to the hon. Member about the information sought. A copy has been placed in the House Library.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission research into the level of public confidence in the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 26 January 2012
	The Government have no plans to commission research into the level of public confidence in the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The results of surveys which measure levels of confidence in the police complaints system are available on the IPCC’s website:
	www.ipcc.gov.uk

Police Arbitration Tribunal

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to refer the Police Arbitration Tribunal decision to Parliament for debate.

Nick Herbert: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on 30 January 2012.

Police: Accountability

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 86W, on police: accountability, what the main categories of costs are within the £25 million of additional costs for police commissioners' elections.

Nick Herbert: The original cost estimate of £50 million for the police and crime commissioners (PCC) elections was the extra cost of these polls in addition to the local elections being held in May 2012.
	Now that the PCC elections are being held in November there will no longer be savings from combining the polls. We estimate this change will mean that the elections will cost an additional £25 million. This includes the costs of staffing (approximately £16 million), accommodating polling stations (approximately £8 million), and the use of equipment for processing poll cards and postal ballots (around £30,000).

Police: Court Orders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many production orders have been issued by each police force in each of the last five years; what the details were of each such order; and whether each such order was granted by the courts.

Nick Herbert: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Police: Dismissal

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure the dismissal of police officers who are convicted of criminal offences.

Nick Herbert: The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008 set out disciplinary procedures for police officers. The decision as to whether to dismiss when an officer has been convicted of a criminal offence is a matter for the relevant chief officer or police authority/Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.

Police: Dismissal

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were convicted of criminal offences in each of the last five years; and what proportion were dismissed for those convictions in each such year.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not collect this information centrally.

Police: Lasers

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to (a) allow the use by the police of and (b) regulate the police's use of lasers intended to blind people temporarily.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 23 January 2012
	The Home Office has no plans to trial lasers for use by the police service.

Police: Pay

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) total and (b) average overtime payments were for police officers in each police force in England and Wales in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: Information about police service expenditure, including overtime, is available on the website of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants:
	www.cipfastats.net
	Information on police officer strength is published in the Police Service Strength Statistical Bulletin:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Police: Powers

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what independent checks are required to monitor the use of force against members of the public who are the subject of a police investigation.

Nick Herbert: Police Conduct Regulations (2008) govern the use of force by police officers. All officers are trained to exercise force responsibly in carrying out their duties. Police forces in England and Wales have a statutory duty to refer to the Independent Police Complaints Commission any serious incident that has arisen from police contact.

Police: Standards

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to simplify the process for removing poorly performing police officers.

Nick Herbert: Tom Winsor made recommendations in respect of police officer performance in Part One of his Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), is currently considering the recommendation of the Police Advisory Board of England and Wales in relation to this.

Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unmanned aerial vehicles were in use by police forces in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010, (d) 2011 and (e) 2012.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 23 January 2012
	The information held centrally via the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Unmanned Aerial System Steering Group (UASSG) states that the number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) owned and in use by police forces are as follows:
	(a) 2008—two UAVs (one operational)
	(b) 2009—three UAVs (two operational)
	(c) 2010—three UAVs (two operational)
	(d) 2011—three UAVs (two operational)
	(e) 2012 (to date)—two UAVs (one operational)
	As forces are not required to inform ACPO UASSG when they purchase or operate a UAV, additional units may be in service, but data for these will not be held centrally.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Owen Paterson: My Department does not currently publish on its website responses to requests received under the Freedom of Information Act. The Northern Ireland Office is, however, committed to openness and transparency and preparations are being made to publish such information on the website at the earliest opportunity.

Welfare State: Reform

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill on people living in Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: The Government's reforms to the welfare system will tackle the twin problems of poverty and welfare dependency. They will also end the something for nothing culture encouraged by the policies of the previous administration.
	The Government's reforms will ensure that work pays and will always be seen to pay. Under our plans, for every hour a person works they will be better off. Universal credit will lift 900,000 individuals including more than 350,000 children and 550,000 working-age adults across the UK, including Northern Ireland, out of poverty. Our reforms will help significant numbers of people in Northern Ireland who are either unemployed or working on low pay.
	The Personal Independence Payment will ensure that support is targeted to help those who face the greatest barriers to leading full, active and independent lives.
	It is not fair that households on out-of-work benefits should receive a greater income from benefits than the average earnings of working households. To deal with this unfairness our reforms will also cap the amount of benefits in line with average weekly earnings.
	We will also simplify the welfare system which under the previous administration had become hugely complex and bureaucratic, our reforms will tackle the unsustainable rise in spending on benefits and tax credits as part of the Government's continuing efforts to reduce the record deficit that we inherited from the administration in which the hon. Gentleman was a member.

SCOTLAND

Credit

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Skills and Innovation on the operation and regulation of payday loan shops in Scotland.

David Mundell: The Government acknowledge that there are real concerns about this type of lending. The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), raised the issue of access to credit and the potential for credit unions to provide an alternative source of finance during a recent meeting with the Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs, the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), this month.
	Payday lending is a key area of regulatory focus for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and it monitors the market for evidence of consumer detriment. The OFT has taken enforcement action against a number of companies in the payday loan market but as the market has increased in size it has seen an increase in reported consumer harm. In light of these concerns, the Government welcome the recent announcement by the OFT that they will be launching a comprehensive compliance review of its Irresponsible Lending Guidance that will specifically target the payday lending market. The review will focus on identifying those practices that are the cause of most harm to consumers and the findings will be used to take further enforcement action and drive up standards in this market. The OFT will also increase its scrutiny of applications for consumer credit licenses by those wishing to engage in this form of lending.

Sovereignty

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of registered voters who would be eligible to participate in a referendum on the constitutional future of Scotland under the (a) Westminster and (b) local authority franchise on the latest date for which figures are available.

David Mundell: As at 1 December 2010, in Scotland there were 3.93 million registered voters for UK Parliament elections, and 3.99 million registered voters for local government elections.

Voluntary Organisations

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contribution his Department is making to implementation of the Compact with the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: The Compact referred to applies to England only. The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), and I are in contact with voluntary and civil society organisations in Scotland on a range of issues.

TRANSPORT

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many properties not on the planned route of High Speed 2 have qualified for payments under the HS2 exceptional hardship scheme to date.

Justine Greening: At this time it is not possible to tell which properties purchased under the exceptional hardship scheme (EHS) would have been compulsorily purchased as safeguarding directions are yet to be issued.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in her Department are working on the High Speed 2 project.

Justine Greening: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Chris White) on 19 January 2012, Official Report, column 916W.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate she has made of the total cost to her Department of work to prepare, draft and support the passage of the proposed legislation for High Speed 2.

Justine Greening: The total funding allocated as part of the spending review to HS2 was £773 million. It includes preparation for and passage of the Hybrid Bill as well as preparatory work for phase 2 of the network.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Costs

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on planning and developing the High Speed Two project in each of the last three years.

Justine Greening: The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Actual spend on HS2 (unless otherwise stated, see footnote (1)) 
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Resource Administration and Programme Capital Total 
			 2009-10 9.4 — 9.4 
			 2010-11 14.6 9.6 24.2 
			 2011-12 (1)116.1 (1)50 166.1 
			 (1) This reflects the budget allocation and is subject to review in light of actual spend to date.

Large Goods Vehicles

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 October 2011, Official Report, columns 24-25WS, on high-volume semi-trailers, on what type of roads the longer lorry trials will take place.

Michael Penning: The high-volume semi-trailers will not be restricted to any type or types of roads.

Large Goods Vehicles

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 October 2011, Official Report, columns 24-25WS, on high-volume semi-trailers, how many lorries will be involved in the longer lorry trials.

Michael Penning: This information—1,800 lorries—is contained in the written ministerial statement.

Motorways: Closures

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many motorway lanes were closed by the Highways Agency in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what proportion of lane closures on the motorway network were between the hours of 8.00 pm and 6.00 am in each of the last three years.

Michael Penning: The information requested is not currently available, but will be placed in the Libraries of the House by Friday 3 February.

Motorways: Closures

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths, (b) serious injuries and (c) slight injuries occurred on the motorway network in accidents or incidents at points of lane closures in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: Neither the Highways Agency nor the central Department holds information on the number of deaths, serious or slight injuries which occurred at the point of lane closure on motorways.

Motorways: Closures

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Highways Agency's policy is on the use of traffic management methods using (a) one and (b) two vehicles (i) with and (ii) without the use of impact protection; and what proportion of road closures have been implemented using each method in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: Highways Agency service providers undertake urgent repairs and routine maintenance to the strategic road network, plus renewal and improvement work, as part of their maintenance contracts. They determine the method of traffic management required in each case based on a wide range of factors e.g. nature of the issue requiring a road closure, type of road, speed limit and traffic flows. The full criteria for traffic management carried out by its service providers, including the use of vehicles with and without impact protection are set out in three documents: the Agency's Network Management Manual; Routine and Winter Service Code; and Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which is the Department for Transport's standard for signing and management of traffic at static and mobile road works.
	For incident management and other exceptional circumstances, in accordance with the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service Procedures Manual, Traffic Officers use the Rolling Road Block procedure and technique to control traffic flow and speed as an emergency traffic management method. The procedure requires traffic officers to perform a dynamic risk assessment considering factors such as traffic flows, weather conditions, general visibility and the number of running lanes to determine whether the technique should be executed with the use of one or two vehicles. At the scene, traffic officers use traffic management equipment such as cones and signs if required.
	Information on the proportion of road closures implemented, broken down by the number of vehicles used and whether or not they had impact protection is not readily available and could be obtained only through scrutiny of service provider individual traffic management provision records, at disproportionate cost to the Agency.

Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Autumn Statement, how much of the cost of completing the (a) M25 junctions 23 to 27 and (b) M1 junctions 39 to 42 improvements will fall beyond the comprehensive spending review period.

Michael Penning: Following the spending review announcement on 26 October 2010, the Government announced plans to invest £2.3 billion on major roads improvements through to the end of 2014-15. This included £1.4 billion to start 14 new schemes, including (a) M25 J23-27 and (b) M1 39-42 in the next four years. The Highways Agency has committed to reduce the total cost of the 14 capital major schemes by 20% against agreed baseline estimates. The autumn statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), on 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, announced funding of £100 million to accelerate the current major projects planned in the comprehensive spending review period, on the M25 (junctions 23-27) and the M1 (junctions 39-42).
	For these accelerated schemes around 17% of the projects1 expenditure would fall into the next spending review period, dependent upon the total level of efficiencies realised for the Highways Agency's SR10 Major Roads Programme, when all 14 projects have completed.
	The Highways Agency is working up detailed delivery time scales for the two accelerated schemes, to bring forward construction up to a year earlier than planned. We wilt make announcements on such time scales in due course.

Queen Elizabeth II Bridge: Closures

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge on traffic levels in Thurrock on 5 January 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: On 4 January the QEII Bridge was closed from 21.43 and reopened at 17.09 on 5 January.
	There are no cameras or other equipment along the A13 or A1089 to monitor traffic levels in real time. However, the Highways Agency was aware of morning peak hour queuing on the A13 westbound in the Thurrock area due to reduced capacity at the Dartford-Thurrock crossing as a result of the bridge closure.
	Within Thurrock the Highways Agency are responsible for the M25, A282, A13 and A1089 trunk roads on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport as highway authority. Monitoring of traffic levels on other roads within Thurrock is undertaken by the local highway authority, Thurrock council.
	During each of the bridge closures traffic levels were monitored on the M25/A282 where CCTV cameras are available.

Railways: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of the total cost to the public purse of the east-west rail project falls beyond the comprehensive spending review period.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 24 January 2012
	As part of the Growth review, the Department for Transport committed to fund the east-west rail link, subject to finalising a detailed business case and a satisfactory local contribution being made.
	Provided that these two conditions are satisfied, the Department will fund the scheme for delivery in Control Period 5 (CP5). The first year of CP5 is the final year of the current spending review period (i.e. 2014-15).

Railways: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of the total cost to the public purse of electrification of the trans-Pennine Express falls beyond the comprehensive spending review period.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 24 January 2012
	Following the Department for Transport’s commitment to fund the electrification of the north trans-Pennine Express line as part of the Growth review, Network Rail have begun working up detailed plans for the delivery of this scheme. This includes considering the delivery programme for this work.
	Early works will be delivered in Control Period 4 (i.e. by the end of 2013-14) in order to stimulate economic growth. However, it is anticipated that work will continue into Control Period 5 (CP5). The profile and cost of this work will be agreed as part of the CP5 settlement.

Railways: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of the total cost to the public purse of measures to reduce disruption on the rail network falls beyond the comprehensive spending review period.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 24 January 2012
	As part of the Growth review, the Department for Transport asked Network Rail to undertake a further £100 million investment via the Network Rail Discretionary Fund (NRDF) to reduce disruption on the rail network and reduce the cost of running the railway. We anticipate that this expenditure will be completed by the end of Control Period 4 (i.e. by the end of 2013-14).
	This investment will be financed via Network Rail’s regulated asset base. As with other regulated utilities, additions to the RAB are financed via a return paid to Network Rail and an amortisation (i.e. depreciation) charge. These payments are made over the life of the asset (generally around 30 years).

Railways: Franchises

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the coalition agreement, what progress she has made in granting longer rail franchises.

Theresa Villiers: The Intercity West Coast franchise that is currently in the procurement stage will have a core term of 13 years and four months. The previous Government's policy was that franchises should have a core term of up to seven years, with a potential three-year extension, but in practice many were shorter. OJEU notices were published on 19 December 2011 in relation to new 15 year franchises for Essex Thameside and Great Western.

Roads: Safety

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 484W, on roads: safety, what assessment she has made of the level of compliance with the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways; and how many fines have been issued in respect of a failure to comply with (a) the current edition of the Specification and (b) previous editions of the Specification since the commencement of section 71 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

Norman Baker: Inspection of works to monitor compliance with the Specification is a matter for individual highway authorities, and accordingly the Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has made no central assessment of the level of compliance. Where authorities identify instances of non-compliance with the Specification, they normally exercise their powers under section 72 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 to require the responsible person to carry out the necessary remedial works (at their own expense), rather than seeking to pursue the matter through the courts. It is in the interests of the local authorities themselves to identify below standard replacements works.
	Persons proceeded against for offences under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 cannot be separately identified on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database, as they form part of a miscellaneous group.

Southern: Rolling Stock

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the cost of new carriages for the Southern rail network will fall beyond the comprehensive spending review period.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 19 January 2012
	Southern Railway will be conducting a financing competition for the new trains which is expected to complete in financial year 2012-13. Until this competition is concluded the details of any further payments have not been agreed.
	I am happy to provide this information once the competition has been concluded.

Travel: Trains

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if her Department will seek suggestions from members of the public on the wording of passenger announcements on trains and in stations.

Theresa Villiers: The wording of passenger announcements is a matter for train and station operators. A small number of information items are required by accessibility standards, in order to give persons with reduced mobility confidence when travelling. The Department consulted with representatives of passengers and disabled people when deciding which items should be mandated. Other announcements may be appropriate for safety reasons.

Travel: Trains

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has a role in the formulation of guidance for passenger announcements on trains and in stations.

Theresa Villiers: Passenger announcements are a matter for train and station operators.
	The Department has previously provided guidance on the provision of information for persons of reduced mobility and this is available on the Department's website at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100406155128/http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/rail/vehicles/pubs/rva/rvareg1998/
	and
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/accessible-train-station-design/

WALES

Employment: Private Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with HM Treasury on the effect of macro-economic policies on employment levels in the private sector in Wales;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effects of macroeconomic policy on employment levels in the private sector in Wales.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues in HM Treasury on a wide range of subjects including raising levels of private sector employment in Wales.
	We recognise that it is the private sector who will lead the economic recovery in Wales, which has relied on public sector employment for too long. That is why we have taken a range of measures to create an environment where the private sector can grow and create much needed jobs in Wales.
	The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has forecast that 1.7 million private sector jobs will be created across the UK by 2017 and Wales needs to be well positioned to create its share of these new jobs.

Exploration

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with (a) the First Minister of the Welsh Government and (b) the Welsh Local Government Association on the scale of planning applications for fracking in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The responsibility for the planning applications for hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ falls to the local authorities in Wales and therefore is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.
	The Welsh Government last week announced plans to hold a public inquiry in May into a test drilling application for shale gas in the Vale of Glamorgan; however, we are not aware of any planning applications currently before any Welsh authority for fracking operations.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether her Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

David Jones: The Wales Office publishes the information it releases in response to Freedom of Information Act requests on a dedicated section of its website, which can be accessed at:
	http://www.walesoffice.gov.uk/foi/
	The average time taken between responding to a request and its publication on the website is not recorded and could be calculated only at disproportionate cost. The Department does however aim to publish released information as soon as possible after a formal reply is despatched to the requester.

Higher Education

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the (a) First Minister of the Welsh Government, (b) Higher Education Funding Council Wales and (c) Higher Education Wales on improving the overall levels of science and technology funding in Wales; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the (a) First Minister of the Welsh Government, (b) Higher Education Funding Council Wales and (c) Higher Education Wales on improving the overall levels of research and development funds in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have regular discussions with Welsh Ministers and public bodies in Wales about a range of matters relevant to Wales. These discussions have included research funding.
	The Government are committed to protecting funding for science and research programmes in cash terms during the current spending review period. This includes over £2.5 billion per annum programme funding for the seven Research Councils which operate across the UK and demonstrates our commitment to promoting economic growth through innovation. I am keen for Wales to be at the heart of this and the issue will be discussed with Welsh businesses at the next meeting of the Wales Office Business Advisory Group.
	The Welsh Government also provide funding in support of research undertaken by higher education institutions in Wales.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what contribution the Government Equalities Office is making to implementation of the Compact with the voluntary sector; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: On 1 April 2011, the Government Equalities Office became part of the Home Office. The information requested will be provided by the Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green).

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Euthanasia

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Attorney-General in how many cases of assisted suicide for the terminally ill the Director of Public Prosecution has decided it is not in the public interest to prosecute since December 2008.

Dominic Grieve: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) headquarters centrally records cases of assisted suicide. However, its central records do not show whether cases were not proceeded with on evidential or public interest grounds, and it would not be possible to provide such information without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Euthanasia

William Bain: To ask the Attorney-General if he will encourage the Director of Public Prosecutions to make available his decisions not to prosecute in cases of assisted suicide on request.

Dominic Grieve: The publication of case decisions by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. When it is appropriate to do so, the DPP ensures that the reasons for decisions in assisted suicide cases are published on the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) website.

Newspaper Press: Telephone Tapping

Tom Watson: To ask the Attorney-General when he expects the Crown Prosecution Service's review of the phone hacking evidence by Alison Levitt QC to report its findings; and if he will place a redacted copy of that document in the Library.

Dominic Grieve: Given that there is a live investigation concerning these matters, it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. Issues such as the publication of the review will be revisited at the appropriate time.

PRIME MINISTER

Christianity

Jim Shannon: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he plans to take to promote Christian values in public life.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the speech I gave on 16 December 2011 commemorating the 400(th) anniversary of the King James Bible. A copy of the speech can be found on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/king-james-bible/

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office publishes on the 10 Downing street website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	The Cabinet Office including the Prime Minister’s Office publishes on its website responses to requests for information where there is a substantial public, rather than private, interest. Details are published on the Freedom of Information pages of the website on each occasion. No information is available about the time taken between responding to a request and the information becoming available on the website but the aim is to do so as quickly as possible.
	There is no change in practice from the previous Administration.

Iraq Conflict

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister if he will commission a National Security Council paper on the diplomatic and military lessons learnt from the Iraq campaigns.

David Cameron: The Iraq Inquiry, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, was established to identify lessons learned from the UK's involvement in Iraq between 2001 and 2009.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to continue additional payments for daily rates for service personnel in Afghanistan at the present level.

Andrew Robathan: Yes. Our armed forces are currently deployed to the most demanding areas of conflict. It is right that they receive allowances, such as the tax free operational allowance, for the day-to-day demands of a deployment in Afghanistan.

Armed Forces: Death

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were killed in action in each country in each calendar year since 2000.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 17 January 2012
	A breakdown of the 494 UK armed forces personnel killed as a result of hostile action between 2000 and 2012 is provided in the following table, broken down by year, operation and country. Hostile action includes deaths categorised as Killed in Action—a battle casualty who is killed outright or who dies as a result of wounds or other injuries before reaching a medical treatment facility; and Died of Wounds—a battle casualty who dies of wounds or other injuries received in action after having reached a medical facility.
	For information, in the same time period, 99 service personnel have died on operations from other causes such as accidents and natural causes.
	
		
			 UK armed forces personnel hostile action deaths by year and operation between 2000 and 2012 
			 Operation Country All 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Op Barras Sierra Leone 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Kosovo 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Op Valero Macedonia 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Afghanistan 334 0 0 0 0 1 1 20 37 50 100 87 38 0 
			  Oman 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Op Herrick UK 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 8 5 1 
			  Iraq 122 0 0 0 30 10 20 26 34 2 0 0 0 0 
			  Germany 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 
			  Kuwait 10 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Op Telic UK 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Total 494 1 2 0 40 11 21 48 73 52 107 95 43 1

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) Yorkshire Regiment and (b) Gurkha (i) full-time soldiers and (ii) reservists were based in (A) Yorkshire and the Humber, (B) North Yorkshire and York and (C) City of York in (1) May 2010 and (2) December 2011; and how many such soldiers he expects to be based in each of these areas at the conclusion of Tranche 2 of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme;
	(2)  how many (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF (i) full-time personnel and (ii) reservists were based in (A) Yorkshire and the Humber, (B) North Yorkshire and York and (C) City of York in (1) May 2010 and (2) December 2011; and how many such personnel he expects to be based in each of these areas at the conclusion of Tranche 2 of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested in respect of Regular armed forces personnel is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  May 2010 December 2011 
			  Yorkshire Regiment Gurkha Yorkshire Regiment Gurkha 
			 Yorkshire and Humber (encompassing north Yorkshire and York)     
			 Regular 300 530 350 (1)360 
			      
			 City of York     
			 Regular 30 130 30 130 
			 (1) The reduction in Gurkha numbers is due to the routine move of Gurkha Reinforcement Company 2 from Catterick to Shorncliffe. 
		
	
	
		
			  Naval Service Army Royal Air Force 
			  May 2010 December 2011 May 2010 December 2011 May 2010 December 2011 
			 Yorkshire and Humber (encompassing north Yorkshire and York)       
			 Regular 180 160 12,670 12,900 2,000 2,160 
			        
			 City of York       
			 Regular 10 0 820 800 10 0 
		
	
	Location information in respect of reserve forces is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Tranche 2 of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme was launched on 17 January 2012 and the outcome will not be known until June of this year. It is therefore too early to say at this stage how many people in each of these regions will be affected.

Cadets

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the funding allocated by his Department for the Yardley Chase Cadet Centre will be made available.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 26 January 2012
	The Ministry of Defence is undertaking an in-depth review of its estate and how it may be used to optimise usage and value for money. This will include the Reserves and Cadets estate and is expected to conclude around mid-2012 at which time the position will become clearer.

Challenger Tanks

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 15W, on Challenger tanks, whether it is his policy that the CHARM3 weapon system could be used before the outcome of the review under Article 36 of Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

Nick Harvey: Should the security situation demand it, before the legal review is ready at the end of February 2012, then Challenger 2 tanks would be deployed in combat operations with appropriate anti-armour capabilities that provide our service personnel with the best possible protection.

Challenger Tanks

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department does not have contingency plans for the event that the outcome of the review of the legality of the CHARM3 weapon system under Article 36 of the Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 concludes that its use could breach international humanitarian law.

Nick Harvey: CHARM3 provides our armed forces with a unique tank-based anti-armour capability which cannot be provided by other munitions.

Cleaning Services

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on dry cleaning and laundry since May 2010; and what his Department’s policy is on allowing its staff to claim for such expenditure.

Peter Luff: holding answer 20 January 2012
	This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The MOD’s military and civilian staff do not claim reimbursement for dry cleaning and laundry services, although they are permitted to use the flat-rate incidental expenses allowance for this purpose when on official business involving an overnight stay.
	Where dry cleaning and laundry services are otherwise a permissible charge to the public purse, they are provided under contract (mainly as part of multi-activity contract arrangements), under local arrangements, through unit laundry facilities or by operational hygiene troops under field conditions.

Defence: Expenditure

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much the (a) Chief of the Defence Staff, (b) Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, (c) Chief of the Air Staff, (d) Chief of the General Staff and (e) First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff have spent on (i) gardening, (ii) entertainment and (iii) renovation and decoration of their official residences in 2011;
	(2)  how many staff were employed in the official residences of the (a) Chief of the Defence Staff, (b) Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, (c) Chief of the Air Staff, (d) Chief of the General Staff and (e) First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in 2011; and what the cost to his Department was of such staff;
	(3)  how much his Department spent on accommodation for the (a) Chief of the Defence Staff, (b) Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, (c) Chief of the Air Staff, (d) Chief of the General Staff and (e) First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in 2011.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 10 January 2012
	Under previous arrangements, Official Service Residences (OSRs) were provided for senior officers in posts which required them to undertake official hospitality for defence purposes. As announced by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 63WS, these arrangements have now been discontinued and a new Domestic Assistance policy will realise savings of at least £3 million per year from April 2012.
	Figures for expenditure on Official Service Residences in the financial year 2010-11 are currently being finalised. For the financial year 2009-10, the costs associated with the properties occupied by the senior officers specified are set out in the following table. It should be emphasised that responsibility for decisions on expenditure relating to these properties lies with the Ministry of Defence, and not with the officers who occupied them at the time, or the current occupants.
	
		
			 Post Accommodation (£) Planned maintenance (inc. gardening) (£) Entertainment costs (£) Number of household staff Cost of household staff (£) 
			 Chief of the Defence Staff 17,000 450 2,000 4 128,000 
			 Vice Chief of the Defence Staff 20,000 1,200 2,400 1 51,000 
			 First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff 18,000 520 2,300 4 161,000 
			 Chief of the General Staff (1)108,000 0 2,800 4 161,000 
			 Chief of the Air Staff 49,000 250 6,600 4 97,000 
			 (1) This property is part of the Crown Estate and a grant-in-aid is payable.

Departmental Data Protection

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents of data loss or breaches of confidentiality occurred in his Department in 2011.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 25 January 2012
	I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 24 November 2011, Official Report, columns 545-46W. During 2011, in 13 cases which involved the loss of personal data, the information involved was assessed as protected personal data and so can be considered to involve a breach of confidentiality.

Departmental Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's finance transparency dataset, 
	(1)  for what reasons £1,260.95 was spent on trips to bowling alleys by his Department; and who was present on those trips;
	(2)  for what reasons £69,923.26 was spent on music and piano stores by his Department;
	(3)  for what reasons £48,057 was spent on bars, pubs and nightclubs by his Department; what the dates were of such trips; who was present; and which venues were visited on each occasion;
	(4)  for what reasons £6,012.82 was spent on shopping trips to cosmetic stores by his Department;
	(5)  for what reasons £8,769.02 was spent on jewellery by his Department;
	(6)  for what reasons £2,004.80 was spent on cinema trips; and who was present on those trips;
	(7)  for what reasons £55,316.41 was spent on theatrical producers;
	(8)  for what reasons £16,584 was spent on trailer parks; and who was present on those trips;
	(9)  for what reasons £9,215.62 was spent at tourist attractions and exhibits; and who was present on those trips.

Peter Luff: Ministry of Defence expenditure paid for by Government Procurement Card is, for security and administrative reasons, reported against merchant transaction categories of VISA'S own taxonomy. The categories, which are designed to provide VISA with data on their customers' business sectors, do not always accurately explain the nature of goods or services procured by the Department, and do not in themselves represent the full audit trail.
	Expenditure listed as ‘trips to bowling alleys’ incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011 relates to leisure activities organised for Army new recruits as part of their induction into their training programme.
	Expenditure listed as ‘music and piano stores’ (totalling £296,198.34) was incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011 in support of the Royal School of Music's training programme and on musical instruments for military bands.
	Expenditure listed as ‘bars, pubs and nightclubs’, incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011, represents the costs of accommodation and meals provided for military and civilian staff on detached duty, military operations and training exercises. I am withholding information on venues to protect the safety of our staff and suppliers.
	Expenditure listed as `shopping trips to cosmetic stores' incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011 relates to the purchases of demineralised water for a search radar in service with the Royal Navy and the purchase of air fresheners for waiting rooms and toilets in Careers Offices throughout the country.
	Expenditure listed as `jewellery' incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011 relates to the maintenance of a clocking-in machine at an MOD establishment, the purchase of new signs at an MOD establishment and for the provision of infantry dog tags and MOD police warrant card holders.
	Expenditure listed as `cinema trips' incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011 relates to the hire of a local venue for the Army Presentation Team and a leisure activity for new junior soldiers.
	Expenditure listed as `theatrical producers' incurred between 1 April and 31 October 2011 relates to:
	Car parking fees for Army and RAF Careers Offices in the west country. Cultural awareness training for Army Officers. Conference facilities for a staff awayday. Exhibition stands for the disposal of surplus military equipment. Local education services for a Service school. Corporate hospitality for visiting VIPs from overseas. Ferry tickets for Red Arrows' support vehicles. RAF recruitment activities. Activity in support of new junior soldier training.
	Expenditure listed as ‘trailer parks’ incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011 relates to:
	The use of a local swimming pool by an RAF station to provide sports facilities for new trainees, sports afternoons and rehabilitation therapy.
	Accommodation for an RAF adventure training course.
	Accommodation for a Joint Service Mountain Training Centre adventure training course.
	Duke of Edinburgh award scheme activities in support of new junior soldier training.
	Expenditure listed as ‘tourist attractions and exhibits’ incurred between 1 April and 30 September 2011 relates to:
	Annual car parking for an armed forces careers office.
	Army officer training.
	Acquaint visits to the Portsmouth Naval Base and Museum for potential recruits to the Royal Navy.
	The annual Navy Day.
	An RAF adventure training course.
	Leisure activities in support of new junior soldier training.

Departmental Manpower

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former employees of Alix Partners are employed by his Department; how many former employees of his Department are employed by Alix Partners; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: No former employees of AlixPartners are employed by the Ministry of Defence and, as far as we are aware, no former Ministry of Defence employees are employed by AlixPartners.

Departmental Procurement

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items with a monetary value of more than £100 have been taken without authorisation from his Department in each month since March 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The information requested will be placed in the Library of the House. The MOD takes detecting and deterring theft very seriously. Where a suspected perpetrator is identified prosecution or internal disciplinary action will follow as appropriate.

Departmental Theft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what thefts there have been from Ministry of Defence establishments since March 2011; and what the value was of the items taken.

Andrew Robathan: The information will be placed in the Library of the House.

Disclosure of Information

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 526W, on disclosure of information, if he will publish the findings of the inquiry into the unauthorised disclosure of the letter between the former Secretary of State and the Prime Minister which appeared in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 17 January 2012
	The investigation remains open. The person responsible for the leak has not been identified.

Ex-servicemen: Mental Health Services

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department is providing to veterans who are experiencing mental health disorders as a result of their service in the armed forces.

Andrew Robathan: Medical care for our former armed forces personnel remains the responsibility of the national health service. However, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with the Department of Health to implement all the recommendations contained in the ‘Fighting Fit’ report produced by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison). These include the launch of a 24-hour helpline, the introduction of an enhanced mental health assessment in discharge medicals, the introduction of an online early intervention service, the Big White Wall, and the launch in April 2012 of a Veterans Information Service.
	We also greatly value the work being done by the mental health charities, such as Combat Stress, and look forward to continuing to work with them.

Ex-servicemen: Military Decorations

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to recognise the service of military veterans through a medal.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 11W, to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Martin Horwood).

Falkland Islands: Defence

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding he plans to allocate to defence of the Falkland Islands in each of the next three years.

Nick Harvey: The current, provisional, forecast for provision of funding for British Forces South Atlantic Islands, through the Joint Forces Command Top Level Budget which will shortly assume this budgetary responsibility, is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year £ million 
			 2012-13 61 
			 2013-14 63 
			 2014-15 65 
		
	
	From 2011-12, responsibility and funding for estates management, including accommodation costs and utilities such as electricity and fuel oil, transferred to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation; this and funding in the other top level budgets is not shown in the table, to provide each top level budget's expenditure in relation to the Falkland Islands would incur disproportionate cost.

Germany: Armed Forces

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with mobile telephone companies on enabling UK service personnel in Germany to obtain mobile telephone contracts although they have no credit rating in the UK.

Andrew Robathan: We have had no such discussions with commercial mobile telephone organisations. However, as part of our work on the Armed Forces Covenant we continue to work with credit reference agencies on a proposed technical solution that will allow British Forces Post Office addresses to be recognised in the same way as a United Kingdom postcode. This will facilitate financial services and online retail for those with such addresses overseas.

International Law: Cybercrime

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent (a) multilateral and (b) bilateral discussions he has had with his (i) international and (ii) European counterparts on establishing international law in the area of cyber security; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 26 January 2012
	The Ministry of Defence has been working closely with NATO allies at a number of multilateral discussions on the formulation of the NATO cyber defence action plan.
	The action plan is a living document that will be continuously updated to ensure NATO is at the forefront of developments in cyberspace and maintains the necessary flexibility to meet the challenges posed by cyber-threats.
	The action plan was a product of the 2010 Lisbon summit, where the Heads of State tasked the North Atlantic Council to develop a revised NATO cyber defence policy. The policy itself was then developed and approved by NATO Defence Ministers on 8 June 2011; the action plan is the implementation tool for the policy.
	Cyberspace must be regarded as an operating environment. Therefore, it is our current position that to deal with so called cybercrime, cyber-terrorism and cyber-war, existing legal structures should be used rather than cyber-specific legislation being introduced.

Military Attachés: Pakistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are attached to the British high commission in Islamabad; what the rank of such personnel is; and what duties they perform.

Nick Harvey: There are five service personnel that form the Defence Section in the British high commission in Islamabad. Their current roles and ranks are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Defence section role Rank 
			 Defence Adviser OF-6/1* (Brigadier) 
			 Air and Naval Adviser OF-5 (Group Captain) 
			 Assistant Defence Adviser OF-4 (Lieutenant Colonel) 
			 Assistant Military Adviser OF-2 (Captain) 
			 Assistant Air and Naval Adviser OR-6 (Petty Officer) 
		
	
	The Defence Attaché is appointed to the high commissioner in Islamabad as the Chief of the Defence Staff's representative and Head of the Defence Section representing the Ministry of Defence and UK armed forces. The Defence Section works closely with the Government of Pakistan to pursue a close bilateral defence relationship, build partnerships between our armed forces, and provide bespoke military support to Her Majesty's Government's policy priorities to protect and promote the UK's influence and interests.

Nuclear Submarines

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which locations are being considered as an alternative operating base for the Vanguard class SSBN submarines;
	(2)  what criteria his Department plans to use to evaluate future locations for the operating base of Vanguard class SSBN submarines;
	(3)  which Royal Navy sites are equipped to become the operating base of Vanguard class SSBN submarines;
	(4)  if he will estimate the likely cost of developing a new operating base for the Vanguard class SSBN submarines.

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of moving (a) T class and (b) Astute class submarines to Plymouth.

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has made plans for the base porting of Royal Navy nuclear submarines in the case of future independence of Scotland and Scotland becoming a nuclear-free zone.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the possibility of Scottish independence, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of moving Vanguard class SSBN submarines from Faslane to Devonport.

Peter Luff: holding answers 19, 20 and 23 January 2012
	The Ministry of Defence is not making plans to change the base ports of those classes of submarines currently base-ported at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde. The Department does not therefore hold cost estimates or other information that would relate to such changes.
	The Government are clear that Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the Union in any referendum.

Pakistan: Military Alliances

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) nature and (b) extent of military links with the Government of Pakistan are; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 26 January 2012
	The Defence Section in Islamabad works closely with the Government of Pakistan, and the Pakistan military, to pursue a close bilateral defence relationship, build partnerships between our armed forces and provide bespoke military support to Her Majesty's Government's policy priorities to protect and promote the UK's influence and interests.
	We encourage senior UK officers to foster a good working relationship with their Pakistan military counterparts, and there are a large number of regimental affiliations between UK and Pakistani military units, which can include exchanges of officers.

Restaurants

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department has incurred on restaurant meals for civil servants since May 2010; and (a) on how many occasions and (b) in respect of which restaurants his Department incurred such expenditure in that period; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: holding answer 20 January 2012
	Expenditure on meals in restaurants reimbursed to civil servants on official duty away from their normal place of work is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A robust spot audit process is in place to ensure that claims are legitimate and correct.
	Moreover, information on venues and locations of such expenditure would be withheld to protect the safety of our staff and suppliers.
	Crown servants are not permitted to entertain each other at public expense.

Territorial Army

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish his plan for the future of the Territorial Army.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 26 January 2012
	As part of Defence transformation it is envisaged that there will be an integrated Army of around 120,000 by 2020, comprising a trained strength of 82,000 regular and at least 30,000 reserves, with a training margin of 8,000 reserves. Across Defence, the reserves will benefit from £1.5 billion investment over 10 years to reinvigorate their contribution to all three services.
	These changes will require the Army to review and rebalance its structure, both in terms of its regular and reserve forces, in order to identify when and how these changes will take place. This detailed work is now under way as part of Army 2020 which I expect to receive for consideration in spring 2012.

Trident Missiles

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what annual service fees are paid to the US Administration for the storage and reprocessing of Trident missiles at the Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic, Kings Bay, Georgia.

Peter Luff: Under the Polaris Sales Agreement as amended for Trident, the UK pays the US Department of Defence an annual contribution towards the overall cost of the US Navy's Strategic Weapons Facility at Kings Bay, Georgia.
	This contribution, which includes storage and reprocessing work, is based on the UK's share of the overall missile inventory, and amounts to around £12 million a year.

EDUCATION

Academies

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information he holds on how schools which have converted to academies are fulfilling their duty to assist less successful schools.

Nick Gibb: Schools that are performing well are in a strong position to help other schools raise standards by sharing good practice and expertise. 1,194 converter academies are supporting over 1,600 named schools.
	As part of the academy conversion process applicant schools provide the Department with the name of the school or schools they will be supporting and what that support is likely to involve. We do not monitor how schools choose to work together following conversion.

Adoption

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many sets of parents (a) began and (b) completed the registration process for adoption in each year from 1997 to 2010.

Tim Loughton: This information is not collected centrally.
	In December the Government set up a working group of key partners from across the adoption sector to redesign the recruitment, preparation, training and assessment process for prospective adopters including what, if any, new monitoring mechanisms might be needed. We expect the group's proposals to inform further reform in due course.

Adoption

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were adopted by UK couples from (a) the domestic care system and (b) overseas in each year from 1997 to 2011.

Tim Loughton: The information on the number of looked after children who have been adopted from care can be found in table G1 of Statistical First Release “Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011”, which is available on the Department's website via the following link. This table can be found in the Excel file which is available via the link entitled ‘England Summary Tables’
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001026/index.shtml
	Adoption is a devolved function and the Department does not hold data on adoption in the devolved Administrations.
	Data on the number of intercountry adoptions are only available for 2010 and 2011, and the figures are estimates only:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2010 174 
			 2011 154 
		
	
	These figures include intercountry adoptions by prospective adopters resident in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the isle of Man who have made an inter-country adoption from countries that have not implemented the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has assessed the effects of downshifting on (a) family life and (b) children’s subjective well-being.

Tim Loughton: No such assessment has been made by the Department.

Children in Care

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that each young person in transition from the looked after system into adulthood has a dedicated key worker.

Tim Loughton: Local authorities have clearly defined duties and responsibilities for their care leavers. The Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010 and guidance “Planning Transition for Adulthood for Care Leavers” requires local authorities to provide young people reaching the age of 18 with appropriate leaving care support. This includes a regularly reviewed pathway plan and the allocation of a personal adviser who will provide advice and support on a range of matters including accommodation. This help continues up until the young person reaches the age of 21, or beyond if the young person is still in education.

Children in Care

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure greater stability of care placements in accordance with the Foster Carers' Charter.

Tim Loughton: Of the children looked after at 31 March 2011, 67% (43,870) had only one placement during the year, and 11% had three or more placements. This compares to 65% and 13% respectively in 2007(1). But although placement stability is improving, we need to do more.
	The Prime Minister announced in October his intention to secure a new focus on improving services for looked after children. We are developing an extensive programme of work to support improvements in the care system, and as part of this we will be assessing the take-up and impact of the Foster Carers' Charter. We will set out further detail on our wider reform proposals in due course.
	(1) Department for Education: Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011.

Children: Adoption

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether there are circumstances under which children adopted from overseas can be given priority under the School Admissions Code, in recognition that they may have suffered hardships similar to those who are accorded such priority.

Tim Loughton: Looked after children have, since February 2006, had priority access under the School Admissions Code. We have proposed a number of changes to the Admissions Code, including that looked after children who leave care under an adoption order (or special guardianship or residence order) retain the entitlement they previously had as a looked after child. The amendments to the code are intended to support the adoption of children from care.
	Children adopted from abroad do not have this entitlement, although I do, of course, recognise that some children adopted from overseas will also have difficult and challenging needs, as do many children who live with their birth families.
	There are already provisions in place to support children with special educational needs (SEN) identified at School Action or School Action Plus. School admission processes must not discriminate against or disadvantage disabled children or those with SEN. For all children whose statement of special educational needs names the school, the child must be admitted. For a child with a statement of SEN, parents have the right to express a preference for any maintained school, and the LA must comply with the parental preference unless the school is unsuitable to the child's age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs, or the placement would be incompatible with the efficient education of the other children with whom the child would be educated, or with the efficient use of resources.

Children: Day Care

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 461-2W, on child care, whether his Department has made an assessment of changes to the availability and cost of out-of-school childcare; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that local authorities meet their statutory duties.

Sarah Teather: Data on the availability and cost of out-of-school childcare is collected through two surveys: the Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents and the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey. These surveys provide the Department and the public with information to help monitor the changes in the availability and cost of child care. The 2010 Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents is due to be published in June 2012. The 2010 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey was published in September 2011.
	The 2009 Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents is available on the Department's website at the following address:
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/Earlyyearsandchildcareworkforce/Page1/DFE-RRQ54
	The 2010 Childcare and Early Years Providers is available from the Department's website at the following address:
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/OSR17/2011
	Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure sufficient child care locally to meet the needs of working parents, particularly families with disabled children. We want local authorities to do more to keep parents informed about how they are meeting this duty. We are currently consulting on whether an annual report would enable parents to hold their local authority to account for the availability of suitable child care, including provision for disabled children. The consultation is available on the Department's website and will remain open until 3 February.

Children: Protection

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many serious case reviews have been undertaken (a) in total and (b) in each English local authority area in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 25 January 2012
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 85W.

Children: Protection

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the number of serious case reviews undertaken by local authorities where a child or family have moved between local authorities in the previous year.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 25 January 2012
	Data about the number of Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) where a child or family have moved between local authorities in the previous year is not available centrally.
	The Government's statutory guidance, “Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010)”, is clear about which Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) should take lead responsibility for conducting a SCR when partner agencies from more than one LSCB area have had contact with a child and their family.

Children: Protection

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the findings of the report entitled Child Neglect in 2011 published by Action for Children in January 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The earlier that help is given to vulnerable children and families, the more chance there is of turning lives around and protecting children from harm. The Government are currently addressing many of the concerns raised in the Action for Children report, shifting the focus onto earlier intervention. This is one reason why last year we asked Professor Munro to carry out an independent review of child protection. She identified that services are often too reactive, and we are now helping children's services, police and the NHS to work together and focus on early identification before problems escalate. We are also working with Ofsted to make sure their inspections look at whether children are getting the help they need.
	Through revisions to the Government's statutory guidance “Working Together to Safeguard Children” (2010) we are planning to free social workers from bureaucracy and reduce statutory guidance so they have more time and space for better quality assessments.
	The Department for Education through the children in need (CIN) census collects data on individual children assessed as being in need due to neglect and on those who are the subject of a child protection plan because of neglect. On 23 January the Department launched a public consultation on the national children's safeguarding performance information recommended by Professor Eileen Munro. This includes additional information on neglect. Depending on the results of the consultation some items collected in the CIN census may change prior to the children's safeguarding performance information framework being published in May 2012. We have also developed and agreed with the sector the performance information that local areas should collect to monitor children's safeguarding which includes a local understanding of the impact of services and the needs of the children and young people.

Departmental Debt Collection

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many times his Department has used the services of debt recovery companies since May 2010; which companies were used; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), can confirm that his Department has not used the services of debt recovery companies prior to or since May 2010.

Departmental E-mail

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Information Commissioner's guidance on official information held in private email accounts, how much his Department has spent on legal advice on the compliance of the practice of deleting private emails concerning Government business sent or received by him or his special advisers with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 24 January 2012
	The Department has not incurred any expenditure on this matter.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he receives any external funding for (a) his ministerial office and (b) his advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of any such funding.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), does not receive any external funding for either his ministerial office or his advisers.

Departmental Recruitment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 227W, on departmental recruitment, how much of the £274,452.26 spent on recruitment agencies was spent on agency (a) fees and (b) staff.

Tim Loughton: The fees for both the Department's agency worker providers are factored in to each of their agreed set of rates. The rates for each provider vary according to the grade of the agency worker and their location—currently five groups across four locations. The agency rates are revised, as appropriate, to take account of any statutory changes in national insurance.
	The information requested is not held centrally because the Department's invoicing process does not separate the fee from the amount paid direct to the agency worker.

English Baccalaureate

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will consider including (a) music and (b) other intellectually rigorous, creative and technical subjects within a sixth pillar of the English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: The English Baccalaureate recognises schools' and pupils' GCSE achievements in a core set of academic subjects. The subjects included in the English Baccalaureate are those most commonly required at A level for entry onto leading universities' courses; some of these subjects—languages, history and geography—have been in decline and the Government want more pupils to have the opportunity to study them.
	We do not want schools to restrict pupils' options to just this academic core. The composition of the English Baccalaureate has been kept small to allow for additional study including music and intellectually rigorous technical and creative subjects. We have no immediate plans to change the composition of the English Baccalaureate but will keep its composition under review, and continue to monitor its impact on GCSE subject choices, including by reviewing GCSE entries in 2012.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Tim Loughton: Disclosure logs for the publication of departmental responses to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are not mandatory for public authorities.
	Nevertheless, in line with best practice, the Department maintains a disclosure log on its website where it publishes anonymised FOI responses likely to be of wider interest to the general public.
	There are currently some 234 responses to FOI requests on the disclosure log, sub-divided by category to aid navigation. The time taken to upload the response varies, but the most recent example was a request made on 16 November 2011; the information was published on the website on 20 January 2012. The disclosure log can be accessed at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/foi

GCE A-Level

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2011, Official Report, column 1219W on GCE A-level, what proportion of pupils from (a) comprehensive schools and (b) independent mainstream schools achieved (i) three or more A Levels graded A or A* and (ii) three or more A Level passes at any grade in (A) the furthest year back for which figures are available without incurring disproportionate cost and (B) 2010.

Nick Gibb: The information for the years 2006 and 2010 is given as follows (the A* grade was not awarded in 2006):
	
		
			 Percentage of students (1, 2, 3)  achieving three or more A levels graded A or A* and three or more A level passes at comprehensive and independent mainstream schools 
			 Percentage 
			  (A) 2006 (B) 2010 
			 Admissions policy of school (4) Students achieving three or more A levels graded A Students achieving three or more A level passes at any grade Students achieving three or more A levels graded A or A* Students achieving three or more A level passes at any grade 
			 Comprehensive(5) 6.8 74.1 8.2 74.6 
			 Independent mainstream(6) 29.2 91.3 32.4 89.8 
			 (1 )Students entered for a GCE or Applied GCE A level or double award, not including equivalent qualifications. (2 )Including attempts and achievements by these students in previous academic years. (3 )16 to 18-year-old students entered for GCE/VCE A level qualifications. (4 )School type as recorded in Edubase. (5 )Including city technology colleges and academies. (6 )Excluding non-maintained and independent special schools. Source: Post 16 School Performance Tables (Final data).

GCSE: Assessments

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many entrants for GCSE examinations were permitted additional time to complete the examination in each of the last 15 years; and how many children were recorded as having (a) specific learning difficulties and (b) statements of special educational needs in (i) Year 7 and (ii) Year 11 in each of those years.

Nick Gibb: The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and its predecessor the Joint Council for General Qualifications (JCGQ) have collected data on those students awarded extra time in exams of up to 25% since the 2004/05 academic year. These arrangements are for candidates with a range of disabilities and medical conditions. The figures are set out in Table 1 as follows and relate to both GCSE and GCE qualifications as data are not collected specifically for GCSEs.
	
		
			 Table 1: Extra time in exams of up to 25% 
			  Number of requests approved 
			 2004/05 35,319 
			 2005/06 56,900 
			 2006/07 69,226 
			 2007/08 78,750 
			 2008/09 144,721 
		
	
	
		
			 2009/10 109,773 
			 2010/11 117,169 
			 Notes: 1. In exceptional circumstances candidates can be entitled to extra time of more than 25%. 2. The way in which data have been collected has changed significantly over this period. 3. Candidates may have had more than one agreed access arrangement in place such as extra time of up to 25% and a reader, or extra time of up to 25% and a scribe. 
		
	
	The number of pupils recorded as having specific learning difficulties and statements of special education needs (SEN) in years 7 and 11 from 2004 onwards (the earliest period for which data are available) can be found in Table 2 as follows:
	
		
			 Table 2:  State-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools (1) . () Number of pupils (2)  with a statement of special educational need (SEN) or a specific learning difficulty (type of need) (3)  in national curriculum years 7 and 11. January 2004 to January 2011, England 
			  National curriculum year 7 National curriculum year 11 
			   Specific learning difficulty (3)  Specific learning difficulty (3) 
			  Pupils with a statement of SEN School Action Plus Statement of SEN Total Pupils with a statement of SEN School Action Plus Statement of SEN Total 
			 2004(4) 23,080 6,195 2,850 9,045 24,395 3,220 3,915 7,135 
			 2005 22,345 6,350 2,280 8,630 24,095 3,725 3,540 7,260 
			 2006 21,675 6,805 2,010 8,815 24,075 4,195 3,280 7,470 
			 2007 20,685 6,935 1,825 8,760 23,895 4,640 2,895 7,535 
			 2008 20,050 7,180 1,460 8,640 23,455 5,185 2,640 7,825 
			 2009 20,720 8,075 1,450 9,525 22,800 5,635 2,270 7,905 
			 2010 20,365 7,860 1,355 9,215 22,220 6,155 1,970 8,125 
			 2011 20,120 7,625 1,290 8,915 21,695 6,105 1,865 7,965 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed, primary academies, secondary academies, city technology colleges and maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (2) Includes pupils with sole or dual main registration. (3) Pupils at School Action Plus and those pupils with a statement of SEN provided information on their primary need and, if appropriate, their secondary need. Information on primary need only is given here. (4) In 2004, may include some pupils recorded at statutory assessment stage. Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: School Census

Parental Responsibility

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that people have fair access to their grandchildren, nieces, nephews or cousins following a bereavement or divorce.

Tim Loughton: The vast majority of families make their own arrangements to ensure that children keep in contact with their extended family following divorce or separation. Where families cannot reach their own agreements, family members may apply to the court for a child contact order.
	There may be cases where it is appropriate for grandparents or other family members to assume some or all care responsibilities for children, for example following the death of a child's parents. Grandparents and other family members may, with the permission of the court, apply for a child residence order.
	The Government will shortly publish its response to the Family Justice Review which considered, among other issues, how children can stay in contact with their grandparents and other family members following family separation or divorce.

Playgrounds: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department has allocated for provision of children's and young people's play areas in Hartlepool constituency in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: The Department has not allocated funding for provision of children's and young people's play areas to Hartlepool or any local area or authority in the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13. The Department's play capital programme finished at the end of March 2011, as originally intended under the previous Government's Play Strategy.
	The Government recognise how important it is that children have safe, local places to play, and the benefits these places bring to the wider community more generally. However, it is not for central Government to determine what play facilities are available in local areas, or to tell the experts in the play sector how to deliver play provision. Children, parents, play professionals and local communities best know what is most needed in their local areas.
	The Government are moving control over local decisions and expenditure away from the centre, giving communities more control over developments in their neighbourhoods, and making it easier for volunteers and charities to get involved. This approach should provide the freedom and flexibility for local areas to meet their own priorities for spending, which may include play, and make the most of the resources available.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students have received pupil premium funding in North Swindon constituency since its introduction.

Sarah Teather: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and allocations have so far been made for the 2011-12 financial year. Pupil premium funding is provided in respect of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM), children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces. In the North Swindon constituency there were 2,140 pupils on the January 2011 school censuses recorded as known to be eligible for FSM or recorded as service children who have received the pupil premium to date. The total number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in the North Swindon constituency may be higher, but it is not possible to identify the number of pupils in each parliamentary constituency recorded as being in care or recorded in the alternative provision census as, in both cases, the returns are provided at local authority level rather than at establishment level.

Schools

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether it is his Department's policy that when an official from his Department attends a governing body or sub-committee meeting at a school the local authority is informed in advance.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 19 December 2011
	We are keen to work in partnership with local authorities when officials from the Department visit schools and make every effort to notify the appropriate local authority in advance of a visit.

Schools: Bibles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been spent on storage for the King James Bible project; on what date the copies of the Bible in storage were printed; and where they are located.

Nick Gibb: To mark the 400th anniversary year of the publication of the King James Bible, the Department for Education is sending a facsimile copy to each state primary and secondary school in England. This will enable all pupils to understand its place in our nation's identity and history.
	Printing will commence in the next few months, and therefore no storage costs have been incurred.

Schools: Bibles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence he has sent to companies seeking funding for the King James Bible project in the last 12 months.

Nick Gibb: To mark the 400th anniversary year of the publication of the King James Bible, the Department for Education is sending a facsimile copy to each state primary and secondary school in England. This will enable all pupils to understand its place in our nation's identity and history.
	Ministers are in discussion with potential sponsors.

Schools: Capital Investment

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much of the £1.2 billion increase in spending on school buildings will be allocated to schools in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 January 2012
	As announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement, the Department for Education has been allocated an additional £600 million to support the provision of pupil places and £600 million to support the expansion of the free schools programme. Departmental officials are considering how best to allocate this funding and announcements on specific allocations will be made in due course.

Schools: Information and Communications Technology

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much maintained schools in England spent on IT (a) in total, (b) hardware, (c) software, (d) consultancy fees and (e) other expenditure in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not collect expenditure on hardware, software and consultancy fees specifically, but through the Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) data collection we can identify the amount spent on information and communication technology (ICT) resources which includes expenditure on computer hardware, educational software and cost of maintenance contracts for ICT used for teaching. The following table shows the expenditure for local authority maintained schools' respective levels of spend from 2002-03 to 2010-11.
	
		
			 Total spend across maintained schools in England (1,2)  on ICT Learning Resource (3)  and ICT Hardware/Software (4) : 2002-03 to 2009-10 
			  ICT learning resource ICT Hardware/Software 
			 2002-03 291,237,598 67,070,792 
			 2003-04 355,594,967 128,901,591 
			 2004-05 437,877,822 190,095,786 
			 2005-06 469,522,633 229,160,855 
			 2006-07 444,576,221 214,318,573 
			 2007-08 473,398,978 172,336,284 
			 2008-09 460,299,919 186,264,035 
			 2009-10 431,779,766 243,564,433 
			 2010-11 441,373,065 187,280,693 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) Figures contained in the table are taken from data supplied by maintained schools (nursery, primary, secondary and special), pupil referral units (PRUs) and LAs in the Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) collection. The figures for 2010-11 may differ from those published in the CFR Statistical Release in December 2011 due to the inclusion of PRU figures, who supply figures on a voluntary basis. Traditionally questions of this kind have been answered using Section 251 Outturn information which is collected and verified by LAs on a similar academic year basis, and uses CFR data to feed into aggregate LA figures. For this request it was necessary to use the underlying school level CFR information as the amount of spend on ‘ICT Hardware/Software (CE04)’ that is collected in the CFR exercise is not part of the data that feeds into Section 251 Outturn reports. (2) The 2002-03 financial year was the first year of collection and figures in this format are not available previous to that year. There are known data issues with this year and figures should be used with caution. (3) Included in ‘ICT Learning Resource (E20)’ is spend on educational software, including site or other licences, hardware including keyboards, monitors, printers etc. used for teaching purposes, purchase, lease, hire or maintenance, contracts of ICT used for teaching, costs of Broadband, ISDN, ASDL or other dedicated phone lines, and ICT in schools revenue expenditure. Excluded from this field is spend on resources that are used for specific administration purposes (See CFR field E22), where a resource is used for curriculum and administration purposes, and where costs are material, costs or estimates of the split should be coded separately at the time of purchase, and ICT expenditure that is over the de minimis level (See CFR field CE04). (4) Included in ‘ICT Hardware/Software (CE04)’ is spend on e-learning credit expenditure, purchase of computer hardware and software where these are to be capitalised or are funded from capital grant, and ICT in schools capital expenditure. Excluded from this field is spend on costs of consultancy that can be identified individually, which should be allocated under the specific expenditure groups within expenditure (See CFR fields E27, E28), and costs of training for staff in the use of ICT systems (See CFR field E09). 
		
	
	The figures supplied cover spending on ICT learning resources (E20) and information and communication technology (CE04) as outlined in the Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) guide and so include:
	ICT learning resources
	educational software, including site or other licences, etc., used for teaching purposes
	hardware, including keyboards, monitors, printers etc., used for teaching purposes
	purchase, lease, hire or maintenance contracts of ICT used for teaching
	costs of broadband, ISDN, ASDL or other dedicated phone lines.
	Information and communication technology
	purchase of computer hardware and software where these are to be capitalised and are funded from capital grant.

Schools: Sanitation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received regarding the standard of school (a) toilet and (b) water facilities for pupils.

Nick Gibb: The Department is consulting on revised standards for school premises, which include regulations for toilet and washing facilities and for water supplies, including drinking water. This public consultation lasted 12 weeks and will conclude on the 26 January 2012.
	By 23 January, over 80 responses had been received, but an analysis of these will not commence until the week commencing 30 January when all the responses have been processed. The intention is to publish the results of the consultation and the Department's response on the Department's website, in the spring. This will show data on the responses to the proposed standards for toilets and washing facilities and for water supplies, including a consolidation of the comments received about them.

Schools: Swindon

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in South Swindon constituency qualified for the pupil premium in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah Teather: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and allocations have so far been made for the 2011-12 financial year. Pupil premium funding is provided in respect of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM), children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces. In the South Swindon constituency there were 2,210 pupils on the January 2011 school censuses recorded as known to be eligible for FSM or recorded as service children who qualified for the pupil premium. The total number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in the South Swindon constituency may be higher, but it is not possible to identify the number of pupils in each parliamentary constituency recorded as being in care or recorded in the alternative provision census as, in both cases, the returns are provided at local authority level rather than at establishment level.

Schools: Swindon

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in South Swindon constituency were excluded from school in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: Information for the years 2005/06 to 2009/10 is shown in the table.
	Data on fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time in 2003/04 via the Termly Exclusions Survey, and both fixed period and permanent exclusions were collected via the School Census for the first time in 2005/06. Data has been provided for five years, covering the period 2005/06 to 2009/10. To provide data for any further years would incur disproportionate cost.
	The latest information on exclusions at national and local authority level was published in the Statistical First Release “Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2009/10”, available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001016/index.shtml
	
		
			 Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools (1, 2, 3) , number and percentage of permanent exclusions and pupil enrolments with one or more fixed period exclusions (4, 5) , South Swindon parliamentary constituency, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  Permanent Exclusions (4) 
			  Primary (1) State-funded secondary (1, 2) Special (3) Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools 
			  Number of permanent exclusions Percentage of the school population (6) Number of permanent exclusions Percentage of the school population (6) Number of permanent exclusions Percentage of the school population (6) Number of permanent exclusions Percentage of the school population (6) 
			 2005/06(7) 0 0.00 6 0.10 0 0.00 10 0.04 
			 2006/07 0 0.00 15 0.21 0 0.00 20 0.10 
			 2007/08 (9)— (9)— 24 0.34 0 0.00 30 0.16 
			 2008/09 (9)— (9)— 10 0.14 0 0.00 10 0.07 
			 2009/10 (9)— (9)— 8 0.12 0 0.00 10 0.06 
		
	
	
		
			  Pupil enrolments with one or more fixed period exclusions (5) 
			  Primary (1) State-funded secondary (1, 2) Special (3) Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools 
			  Pupil enrolments with one or more fixed period exclusions (5) Percentage of the school population (6) Pupil enrolments with one or more fixed period exclusions (5) Percentage of the school population (6) Pupil enrolments with one or more fixed period exclusions (5) Percentage of the school population (6) Pupil enrolments with one or more fixed period exclusions (5) Percentage of the school population (6) 
			 2005/06(7) (8)— (8)— 480 7.86 (8)— (8)— (8)— (8)— 
			 2006/07 23 0.28 495 6.83 (9)— (9)— 520 3.35 
			 2007/08 59 0.73 414 5.83 0 0.00 470 3.12 
			 2008/09 29 0.36 347 4.96 0 0.00 380 2.50 
			 2009/10 42 0.53 330 4.80 0 0.00 370 2.51 
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (3 )Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4 )Permanent exclusion figures at constituency level are as reported by schools. Published figures at national and local authority level were adjusted following an exercise to check the total number of exclusions with local authorities. (5 )Pupils may be counted more than once if they moved schools during the year, or are registered at more than one school. (6 )The number of exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) as at January each year. (7 )For the 2005/06 school year, only information on fixed period exclusions from secondary schools was available. (8 )Not available—no exclusions collected for schools of this type. (9 )Less than 5 or a percentage based on less than 5. Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census

Schools: Swindon

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in the South Swindon constituency have been placed in the category of school action plus in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The available information on the number of pupils with special educational needs at school action plus in the South Swindon constituency, in the south-west and in England is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 All schools (1) : Number of pupils with special educational needs at school action plus (2) , January 2007- 11, England 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 England 418,160 447,465 472,810 503,050 500,155 
			 South-west 33,135 34,815 36,685 39,185 40,060 
			 South Swindon parliamentary constituency 730 787 792 787 785 
			 (1) Includes nursery schools, middle schools as deemed, primary academies, secondary academies, city technology colleges, maintained and special schools and pupil referral units. Excludes general hospital schools and independent schools. (2) Includes pupils with sole or dual main registration. 
			 Note: National and regional totals have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Schools Census.

Schools: Swindon

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in the South Swindon constituency have been in receipt of a statement of special educational needs in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The available information on the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs in the South Swindon constituency, in the south-west and in England is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 All schools (1) : Pupils with statements of special educational needs (2) , as at January 2007-11, England 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 England 232,760 227,315 225,400 223,945 224,210 
			 South-west 20,820 20,620 20,565 20,580 20,470 
			 South Swindon 281 280 299 332 317 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) Includes nursery schools, middle schools as deemed, primary academies, secondary academies, city technology colleges, maintained and special schools and pupil referral units. Excludes general hospital schools and independent schools. (2) Includes pupils with sole or dual main registration. Note: National and regional totals have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Schools Census.

Schools: Swindon

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in the South Swindon constituency have received A*-C grades in their (a) mathematics and (b) English GCSE in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Numbers and percentages of pupils (1,2)  at the end of key stage 4 achieving A*-C grades in English and mathematics GCSEs (3,4)  in South Swindon constituency (5) , south-west region (6)  and England (7) . Years: 2006-10. Coverage: England 
			 Number and percentage of KS4 pupils achieving A*-C in 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 
			 English      
			 South Swindon (number) 656 862 783 833 899 
			 South Swindon (percentage) 55.6 60.0 57.2 61.1 68.1 
			       
			 South-west (number) 34,618 35,006 35,547 35,964 38,087 
			 South-west (percentage) 59.6 60.4 61.7 63.5 66.9 
			       
			 England (number) 338,325 349,086 357,983 358,136 382,870 
			 England (percentage) 57.1 58.3 60.1 62.1 66.5 
			       
			 Maths      
			 South Swindon (number) 581 761 706 755 786 
			 South Swindon (percentage) 49.2 53.0 51.5 55.4 59.5 
			       
			 South-west (number) 31,412 31,908 32,832 34,013 35,914 
			 South-west (percentage) 54.1 55.0 57.0 60.1 63.1 
			       
			 England (number) 307,025 323,044 335,453 339,196 360,532 
			 England (percentage) 51.8 54.0 56.3 58.8 62.6 
			 (1) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (2) Figures include all maintained schools (including CTCs and academies). (3 )Full GCSEs only have been included (full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs and AS levels). Figures from 2006-09 exclude iGCSEs, 2010 figures include accredited iGCSEs. (4) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (5) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (6) Regional figures are based on the region of the local authority maintaining the school. (7) England figures are the sum of all local authority figures. Source: National Pupil Database

Sixth Form Education: Finance

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on changes to funding of sixth form education.

Nick Gibb: The Department has received 695 responses to its recent consultation on the 16-19 Funding Formula review. We are currently analysing these returns and plan to publish the outcomes from the consultation later in the spring.

Special Educational Needs

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding he plans to make available for children with special educational needs who will not be eligible for an Education, Health and Care Plan and are registered as School Action or School Action Plus.

Sarah Teather: Currently over £2 billion is delegated directly to schools to support children with SEN, with an additional £306 million allocated to schools to support individual pupils with statements. Our plans for changes to the statement system do not anticipate any changes to the total amounts available. We are, however, planning to ensure greater transparency about the support available for children with special educational needs with local authorities setting out a local offer of the support available in their area.

Special Educational Needs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria were used to select the pathfinders to test the best ways of implementing the reforms in the Special Educational Needs Green Paper; what objectives he set for the pathfinders; and what mechanism the pathfinders will use to evaluate their effectiveness.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 26 January  2012 
	The 20 special educational needs and disability pathfinders were selected according to the criteria published in the ‘Invitation to Tender’, which is available on the Department’s website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/sen/b00191706/send-green-paper-pathfinders
	Criteria included engagement of children, young people and parents, partnership arrangements, capacity to innovate and role of the voluntary and community sector. All pathfinders are working within existing statutory frameworks towards the following common objectives:
	to develop a new birth to 25 assessment process and a single plan which bring together the education, health and social care services on which children and young people who are disabled or have SEN rely;
	to explore how the voluntary and community sector could explore access to specialist expertise and introduce more independence to the process; and
	to ensure the full engagement of children, young people and their parents and families.
	The Department has appointed SQW to carry out an independent evaluation of the pathfinder programme. The Mott MacDonald pathfinder support team is working with pathfinders to help them develop their plans for measuring outcomes for children and families locally.

Special Educational Needs: Children

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he plans to provide special educational needs assessments for young people who develop needs in their teens.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 26 January 2012
	Local pathfinders involving local authorities and their health partners are testing the best ways of achieving the reforms set out in the Green Paper, ‘Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability’. Those reforms include plans for a single, integrated assessment process and Education, Health and Care Plan for children and young people from birth to 25 who would, under the current system have a statement of special educational needs or a learning difficulty assessment.

Special Educational Needs: Children

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on early intervention for children with special educational needs.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 26 January 2012
	A central theme of the recent Green Paper “Support and Aspiration: a new approach to special educational needs and disability” is to ensure that children’s support needs are recognised early and to enable professionals and parents to put the right help in place quickly, leading to the best possible outcomes for every child.
	To ensure that teachers are well equipped to identify and meet young peoples’ needs, we have committed to sharpen the focus on special educational needs within the standards for qualified teacher status; increase the number of initial teacher training placements in special schools; and, provide for scholarships, continuing professional development and training opportunities in SEN, including in specific impairments. This should equip teachers with the skills and knowledge to improve achievement for children with SEN and disabilities.
	The proposed revision to the statement of special educational needs, the new Education, Health and Care plan, will bring together the range of support that a child or young person needs from education, health or social care services, within one plan involving all relevant agencies as well as the child and family. This should streamline the assessment process and help to ensure that the right package of support can be put in place as soon as a child’s needs are identified.
	In addition, there are a number of universal measures that will also be particularly beneficial to children with SEN. The revised Early Years Foundation Stage will include a new requirement for providing for earlier intervention for those children who need extra help, through the introduction of a progress check when children are age two.

Special Educational Needs: Children in Care

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many looked-after children with autism access education beyond the age of 16 in each English local authority.

Tim Loughton: Information on the number of looked after children with autism who access education beyond the age of 16 is not currently available. However the Department does collect information on the number of former care leavers now aged 19 but who were looked after when aged 16, who are in higher education. This information is published in table F1 of the Department's Statistical First Release, “Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011”. This publication can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001026/index.shtml

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to measure progress on the implementation of policies supporting the big society initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: Departmental business plans set out clear priorities across Government, including what we are putting in place to support the growth of big society, and we continue to report publicly on progress against these priorities at
	http://transparency.number10.gov.uk/transparency/srp/
	Within the Department for Education this includes reporting progress on initiatives such as Free Schools, Sure Start children's centres, and joint work with the Cabinet Office on the National Citizen Service, as well as work to reduce bureaucratic burdens and ensure more and better information is available to service users.
	In addition to the routine monitoring of programmes to measure progress the Department for Education carries out evaluation of programmes. For example, we have commissioned a major evaluation of Sure Start children's centres and we are managing the evaluation of the National Citizen Service with Cabinet Office which will be published at
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
	in due course. Other DFE evaluations are published at
	www.education.gov.uk

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding (a) Academy of York, (b) Bolton Lads and Girls Clubs, (c) Changematters, (d) Connexions Cumbria, (e) Engage4Life, (f) Envision, (g) Fylde Coast YMCA, (h) Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade, (i) Lincolnshire and Rutland EBP, (j) New College Nottingham, (k) Petroc, (l) Safe in Tees Valley, (m) Salford Foundation, (n) Sefton (CVS), (o) The Challenge Network, (p) The National Youth Agency, (q) V, (r) Young Devon/NCS South West, (s) Your Consortium Ltd, (t) Catch 22, (u) Future Foundations, (v) Global Action Plan, (w) Groundwork, (x) Luton Culture, (y) Oxfordshire CC, (z) Partnership Network, (aa) Transitions Plus, (bb) Football League Trust and (cc) Young Lives have received from his Department to run National Citizen Service pilots in 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Funding for NCS pilots in 2012 is provided by the Cabinet Office and from a wide range of sources. 2012 pilot providers have secured funding from a range of sources in addition to the Cabinet Office investment that includes business donations, in-kind support from providers themselves, private philanthropic donations, local fundraising and small contributions from participants and their families. This Department has not provided funding to support 2012 pilots.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance is given to Access to Work assessors and advisers on ensuring that (a) Access to Work processes are accessible to deaf blind people and (b) the support needs of deaf blind people are met through Access to Work.

Maria Miller: Access to Work advisers will have undergone disability awareness training to ensure that they are able to identify the communication needs of the customer. Assessors are contracted on the basis that their services are accessible to disabled people under the requirements of the Equalities Act.
	Access to Work is a pan-disability programme which includes deaf blind customers. It provides practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help them overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability. Access to Work funds the support that is beyond the reasonable adjustments that employers make. It funds a variety of support for disabled people in employment, including support workers, travel to work, special aids and equipment and adaptations to equipment.
	The Department is currently considering how to update the range of support it provides for disabled people in the light of the Sayce review recommendations and subsequent consultation.

Access to Work Programme

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average time elapsing between an initial application to Access to Work and the requested support being in place for (a) disabled and (b) deafblind people.

Maria Miller: The information requested is not routinely collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Children: Poverty

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of the implementation of the provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill on levels of child poverty in each of the five years following its implementation.

Maria Miller: A key component of the Welfare Reform Bill is universal credit. The impact assessment published in October 2011 estimates that, on reasonable assumptions, the combined impact of increased take-up and entitlements will lift around 900,000 individuals out of poverty, including more than 350,000 children and around 550,000 working-age adults. The impact assessment also estimated that universal credit could reduce the number of workless households by as much as 300,000. Universal credit is expected to improve work incentives by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work, and by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits when they increase their earnings.

Crisis Loans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for social fund crisis loans there have been in each month since June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The following table shows the number of crisis loan applications made each month since June 2010.
	
		
			  Number of crisis loan applications 
			 June 2010 300,650 
			 July 2010 292,630 
			 August 2010 283,950 
			 September 2010 299,540 
			 October 2010 267,980 
			 November 2010 278,670 
			 December 2010 240,770 
			 January 2011 302,540 
			 February 2011 288,400 
			 March 2011 301,100 
			 April 2011 207,990 
			 May 2011 240,670 
			 June 2011 230,760 
			 July 2011 220,800 
			 August 2011 221,300 
			 September 2011 221,740 
			 October 2011 197,400 
			 November 2011 196,400 
			 December 2011 170,620 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 2. Figures are for applications received, not for the number of people who made an application as some people made more than one application 3. The number of applications received has been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts his Department has awarded to Deloitte since May 2010; and what the (a) net and (b) individual monetary value was of each such contract.

Chris Grayling: In 2008-09 the Department spent £72.8 million on business consultancy services. This figure reduced to £18.2 million in 2010-11. This represents a total reduction of 76% compared to 2008-09 spending levels and we continue to drive value for money for the taxpayer. Spending has continued to fall during calendar year 2011 with the Department spending just £3.13 million on business consultancy.
	Since May 2010 the following contracts have been awarded to Deloitte:
	
		
			  £ 
			 CIT Organisation and Capability Transformation Options 1 
			 Research into the Capacity of the Health Care Professional Market 48,670 
			 Compensating People with Occupational Mesothelioma 25,616 
			 Review of Transforming Letters Project 19,950 
			 Digital Customer Total Experience Design 16,667 
			 DWP Shared Services Delivery Model Options Appraisal 225,000 
			 Total 335,904

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of change in his Department’s spending on (a) pensioners, (b) families with children, (c) people with a disability and (d) all those living in Northern Ireland by 2015.

Maria Miller: These are devolved matters which are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development.

Disability: Employment

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department makes available for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families.

Maria Miller: Individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who are unable to work due to their condition are able to claim employment and support allowance. This benefit provides help to those capable of preparing for work to enable them to do so, as well as unconditional support to the most severely disabled.
	Employment support to help disabled people, including those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is provided through Jobcentre Plus and the Work programme. Individuals may also qualify for specialist support through Work Choice, which helps individuals to move into supported employment, as well as Access to Work which provides support to individuals and their employers to meet adjustments they may require in the workplace or to access a job.
	Those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who have extra costs due to their disability may also qualify for disability living allowance. Individuals with a caring responsibility, such as family members of an individual with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, may qualify for carers allowance.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department collects on the number of (a) job interviews undertaken and (b) work placements allocated under the sector based work academy scheme.

Chris Grayling: Information on the number of claimants participating in the sector-based work academy scheme will be published later in the year.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will develop a costed contingency for replacing failed prime contractors in the Work programme; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department has developed robust contingency arrangements to manage any prime contractor failure, with performance being actively monitored to ensure early warning of a provider facing difficulty.
	There is at least one alternative contractor in each contract package area (CPA) and providers are required to provide full geographical coverage of each CPA so could quickly provide support to claimants of the other provider. In addition, as the Work programme was procured through the Framework for the Provision of Employment Related Support Services there are additional providers available at short notice. Therefore the Department expects that any necessary alternative arrangements would be implemented at minimal cost.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from what date he expects to apply automatic checks on Work programme prime providers' claims for outcome payments.

Chris Grayling: The Department plans to introduce these checks from April 2012.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the commitment in the Open Services White Paper on provision of user satisfaction data by public service providers, what plans he has for the publication of user satisfaction data in the Work programme.

Chris Grayling: Both the Jobcentre Plus and Pension, Disability and Carers Service surveys (which the Open Services White Paper refers to) are designed to elicit customer feedback on the services JCP or PDCS provides, not experiences of work programme provision. This information is used to inform continual improvement of services provided by JCP and PDCS.
	The Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Work programme. This will include in-depth research with participants to understand their experiences of support and measure their progress into work. All the research will be published in the DWP research report series; the first report will be published later this year.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what maximum period is specified for the interval between contacts with a programme participant in contracts with Work programme providers.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not specify the contact intervals between participants and their Work programme provider.
	Work programme providers are free to design support based on individual and local need and will be paid primarily for supporting claimants into employment and helping them stay there for longer than ever before. It is therefore in the interest of providers to ensure the frequency of contact is appropriate for the participant. On attachment to the Work programme, participants are given a summary of the service standards they can expect to receive as well as the complaints process if they are unhappy with the level of service and support the provider gives.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to help disabled people into work.

Maria Miller: We are committed to ensuring that disabled people have the same employment opportunities and chances as everyone else to find and stay in work, regardless of their disability or benefit status.
	As part of this commitment, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for a range of specialist employment provision specifically aimed at disabled people whose needs cannot be met through other DWP mainstream provision, such as the Work programme:
	Work Choice, launched in October 2010, provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment find and stay in work (including self-employment) and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual. Work Choice is voluntary and available regardless of any benefits being claimed.
	Access to Work provides practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help them overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability. Access to Work funds the support that is beyond the reasonable adjustments that employers make. Access to Work supported 35,840 disabled people to keep or get employment during 2010/11.
	Remploy Employment Services deliver employment support for disabled people, including through the Work Choice programme and Remploy Enterprise Businesses—a network of 54 factories across the UK, providing supported employment to disabled people.
	Residential training, delivered through nine residential training colleges, provides vocational training to unemployed disabled adults. Support is not restricted to particular types of disability although some colleges focus support on particular groups, for example visually impaired and hearing impaired.
	In December 2010, the Government asked for an independent review to look at DWP employment support available for disabled people, specifically Remploy, residential training colleges and the Access to Work programme. This was led by Liz Sayce, the chief executive of the disability organisation RADAR.
	Liz Sayce published her report, ‘Getting in, staying in and getting on’, on 9 June 2011. The Government's response and a separate public consultation was launched on 11 July 2011. I welcome the central theme of the review, that resources for supporting disabled people into employment should be focused on disabled people themselves rather than on specific institutions. The consultation closed on 17 October 2011 and the Government will publish a summary of responses received and a statement on future policy as soon as practicably possible.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions does not publish its response to every request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act, not least because the volumes are too large and in any event many are quite routine.
	However, the Department regularly publishes those responses where the information released is of wider public interest. Officials endeavour to publish such releases as soon as possible and they can be found at the following address:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom%2Dof%2Dinformation/information%2Dreleased%2Dunder/
	In addition, all the Department’s responses to the What Do They Know website are automatically published on that website. This constitutes around 20% of the Department’s freedom of information responses.
	The What Do They Know website can be found at the following address:
	http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/dwp

Funeral Payments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for grants to cover funeral costs there have been in each month since June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The following table shows the number of funeral payment claims made each month since June 2010.
	
		
			  Number of funeral payment claims 
			 June 2010 5,760 
			 July 2010 5,400 
			 August 2010 4,720 
			 September 2010 5,470 
			 October 2010 4,880 
			 November 2010 6,140 
			 December 2010 4,100 
			 January 2011 6,900 
			 February 2011 6,850 
			 March 2011 7,470 
			 April 2011 5,220 
			 May 2011 6,100 
			 June 2011 5,840 
			 July 2011 5,330 
			 August 2011 5,340 
			 September 2011 5,850 
		
	
	
		
			 October 2011 5,350 
			 November 2011 5,730 
			 December 2011 5,020 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. 2. The number of claims received has been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System

Health and Safety Regulation Review

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the finding of the Löfstedt Review of Health and Safety Legislation that there is no case for radically altering current health and safety legislation.

Chris Grayling: Professor Löfstedt’s independent review of health and safety legislation found that the existing regulatory framework was broadly right but recommended revoking, amending or clarifying those regulations that place unnecessary burdens on business without contributing to a healthier and safer workplace.
	The Government accepted Professor Löfstedt’s recommendations and are committed to their timely implementation to ensure the health and safety system is consistent, proportionate, and easy to understand. The Health and Safety Executive has launched a consultation on the revocation of the first seven statutory instruments that have been identified as obsolete or that have been overtaken by more recent regulations. The consultation, which closes on 12 March 2012, can be found on the HSE website at:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/live.htm
	Regular progress updates on the implementation of the Löfstedt recommendations will be published on the DWP website.

Members: Correspondence

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to the letter from Mark Gilbert on the treatment of his wife Susan Gilbert in her employment by Sainsbury plc.

Chris Grayling: Mr Gilbert wrote to the Minister for Disabled People, my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), on 10 August 2011. An official replied to Mr Gilbert on 19 August 2011 on behalf of the Minister.

Pensions Regulator

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to increase the efficiency of (a) the Pensions Regulator and (b) the Pensions Regulator complaints procedure.

Steve Webb: The Pensions Regulator was set up in April 2005 with a new proactive and risk-based regulatory approach, placing greater emphasis on identifying and tackling real risks to members' benefits. The delivery of the daily business is managed by the chief executive, reporting to the Board of the Pensions Regulator. There is an ongoing assessment of the regulator's performance at both ministerial and official level. Following a request from Ministers in line with DWPs other non-departmental public bodies the Pensions Regulator have submitted proposals to reduce their operating costs over the spending review period which will be achieved by a number of initiatives to increase efficiencies in the Pension's Regulator’s business while maintaining or improving standards of service delivery. The Pensions Regulator publishes a business plan annually and submits an annual report on all its activities to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which is then laid before Parliament.
	The Pensions Regulator recently reviewed its internal complaints process and concluded that it could be streamlined from a three stage to a two stage process. The first stage is an investigation and response by the Corporate Secretary and the second is a review by the Chair if the complainant remains dissatisfied.

Pensions Regulator

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has asked the Pensions Regulator to make of the level of hidden charges associated with pension and savings funds; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I am strongly committed to clarity on costs and charges so there is increased trust in pension provision and scheme members do not incur unnecessary costs. In support of this, the Pensions Regulator encourages the industry to be open and transparent about charges so that people can make informed choices about their pension provision. The Regulator has challenged the pensions industry to develop a way to disclose charges so that employers and advisors can be clear about value when selecting a scheme. This is part of the wider approach, which aims to ensure that members of all workplace Defined Contribution schemes secure as good an outcome as possible.

Poverty: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of (a) pensioners, (b) families and (c) children who will be living in poverty in Northern Ireland in 2015.

Maria Miller: These are devolved matters which are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development.

Social Fund

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local authorities have committed themselves to setting up a replacement for his Department's social fund.

Steve Webb: Local authorities are not replacing the social fund. Payments for maternity, heating and funeral expenses will continue while some discretionary payments will be replaced by better targeted local provision in England and help provided under arrangements made by the Scottish and Welsh Governments.
	When funding is distributed it will be accompanied by a settlement letter setting out what funding is to be used for, its underlying principles and the outcome which should be achieved.
	We are working closely with the local authorities and their representative organisations to support them in preparing to deliver the new local provision and I am unaware of any that is not committing to providing it.
	Additionally, universal credit will provide a better service with payments on account, supporting many people in need of short and longer term credit facilities.

Social Fund: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for which aspects of the Social Fund he is planning to transfer responsibility to Liverpool city council.

Steve Webb: Liverpool city council will not become responsible for any elements of the Social Fund.
	National payments for maternity, heating and funeral expenses will continue while some discretionary payments will be replaced by better targeted local provision through local authorities in England and arrangements made by the Scottish and Welsh Governments.
	When the funding is distributed it will be accompanied by a settlement letter setting out what the funding is to be used for, its underlying principles and the outcome which should be achieved. It will say that the funding is to concentrate resources on those facing greatest difficulty in managing their income, and to enable a more flexible response to unavoidable need. The letter will make explicit that the funding is to provide a replacement provision for community care grants and general living expenses crisis loans.
	We are working closely with local authorities and their representative organisations to support them in preparing to deliver the new local provision.
	Additionally, universal credit will provide a better service of payments on account, supporting many people in need of short and longer term credit facilities.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what calculations his Department made in reaching its estimate that a working household would have to earn £35,000 per year for its net income to exceed the maximum payable under the proposed benefit cap and £50,000 per year if child benefit was excluded from the cap.

Chris Grayling: An employee earning £35,000 per annum, gross of income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs), would take home £26,000 per annum after deducting income tax and NICs. This calculation is based on the 2011-12 rates and thresholds for income tax and NICs, which can be found at the following URLs:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/index.htm
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/index.htm
	If child benefit was excluded, then the gross earnings of someone in work would need to be much higher in order to have the equivalent net income from work as someone on benefits. The exact equivalent in gross earnings would depend on the number of children in the family. For example, a family with four children would receive nearly £30,000 in benefits which is the equivalent to £40,000 in earnings and a family with 10 children or more would receive over £33,000 in benefits which is the equivalent to gross earnings of towards £50,000 a year.

Social Security Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of claimants who will be affected by the benefit cap in each parliamentary constituency.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available by parliamentary constituency.

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) the London borough of Bexley and (c) London received benefits in excess of the value of his proposed benefits cap in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available by parliamentary constituency.
	The number of households estimated to be affected in the London borough of Bexley is 300. The number of households estimated to be affected in all London boroughs is 35,600.
	The figures relate to the financial year 2013-14 when the cap is due to be implemented, and are on the same basis as the impact assessment which was published on 23 January 2012.
	The impact assessment assumes that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. In all cases the Department is working to support households through this transition, using existing provision through Jobcentre Plus and the Work programme to move as many into work as possible.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer of 23 January 2012, Official Report, column 9, on universal credit, whether his Department expects to be able to access real-time PAYE information for all employers by the launch of universal credit in October 2013.

Chris Grayling: DWP is working closely with HMRC on the availability of RTI data. HMRC have plans in place to bring all employers under RTI by October 2013. HMRC assure us they are on track to meet this target.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: West Midlands

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small and medium-sized businesses have taken on apprentices in (a) Worcester constituency, (b) Worcestershire and (c) the west midlands in the last year.

John Hayes: Information is not available on the size of the employer for apprentices below national level.
	Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy and high quality training opportunities like apprenticeships are key to supporting their growth and success. We recognise this and, in last November's Education and Skills Growth Review, we announced a range of measures to improve small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) access to apprenticeships, including speeding up the process to advertise and recruit an apprentice; removing health and safety requirements that go beyond regulatory requirements; and enabling micro companies to build extra modules into apprenticeships.
	The Government are aware that small businesses place great value on apprenticeships. Indeed, the National Employer Skills Survey suggests that SMEs employ proportionately more apprentices than larger employers.

Biotechnology

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of opportunities arising from industrial biotechnology in the development of a low carbon economy.

David Willetts: The Government recognise that industrial biotechnology has an increasingly important role to play in growing a green economy.
	The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum (IBLF) works across the research community, through our innovation centres including the Technology Strategy Board and our newly established Catapult centres to realise the potential for industrial biotechnology among UK businesses.
	Through the IBLF, the Department seeks to ensure that the UK will become a leading centre of competence in fine and speciality chemicals delivered via IB processes, and that there will be an increased uptake of biocatalysis and fermentation in the existing UK chemical industry.

Business: Government Assistance

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Glasgow South West constituency have received support from his Department since 2010.

Mark Prisk: The total number of enterprises that have received assistance from BIS schemes is not available. However, where information is held at a constituency level on the number of such businesses supported by BIS, this is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Product Glasgow South West Comment 
			 Access to finance 14 companies of £1.75 million Drawn down loans post 2010 for Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. In Scotland for the same period there were 567 loans of £82.56 million. 
			 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships One company supported — 
			 Collaborative R&D Three companies supported — 
			 Trade services support 16 companies These were services offered by UKTI in calendar year 2011. 
		
	
	For other schemes such as BIS's Knowledge Transfer Networks, information is only available at a national level and not at constituency level.

Business: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Government-owned empty or under-utilised buildings in Scotland will be made available to small businesses; and where such buildings are located.

Mark Prisk: Enterprise policy is a devolved responsibility. The announcement by the Prime Minister on making Government-owned empty or under-utilised buildings available to small businesses, in the first instance pertains to property in England. However, the Government will be speaking to all of the devolved Administrations to explore the possibilities of extending this initiative across the whole of the UK.

Community Investment Tax Relief

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2012, Official Report, column 173W, on community development tax relief, what the names of the community development finance institutions are; if he will publish details of their financial holdings; and what level of tax relief each has benefited from since their accreditation.

Mark Prisk: Currently there are 24 Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) accredited under Community Investment Tax Relief (CITR). The names of the accredited organisations are as follows:
	Aston Reinvestment Trust (ART)
	BIG Issue Invest Limited
	Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS)
	Bristol Enterprise Development Fund
	Bristol Together
	Business Finance Solutions
	London Business Loans
	CDFA Progress Fund
	Charity Bank
	Co-operative and Community Finance
	Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust
	Cumbria Asset Reinvestment Trust
	First Enterprise Business Agency
	Fredericks Foundation
	Foundation East
	London Rebuilding Society (LRS)
	Hull Business Development Fund
	London Development Agency
	Northern Pinetree Trust
	Saltend Community Development Company Ltd
	Social Investment Scotland
	The Social Enterprise Loan Fund (TSELF)
	Street North East
	Triodos Bank
	The accredited CDFIs are independent financial institutions. BIS do not hold details of their financial holdings.
	Investors in CDFIs receive a tax relief for their investments (the CDFIs themselves do not receive the relief). Currently around £84 million of investment has been raised under CITR since 2002. BIS do not publish details of CITR raised by individual CDFIs. As CITR may be only one method a CDFI uses to raise capital, this may create a false impression of their financial health.

Company Accounts

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to exempt micro-entities from the requirement to file accounts.

Edward Davey: The Government are committed to reducing the burdens faced by all businesses, and small businesses in particular, as part of our aim to make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business. We have achieved agreement from EU Ministers to exempt micro-businesses from certain EU accounting rules and expect a directive introducing these exemptions to be agreed shortly. We will seek to introduce these flexibilities into the UK's regulations at the earliest opportunity and so greatly reduce the requirement for micro-entities to publish and file accounts.

Construction: Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the construction industry on (a) skills and training and (b) the role of national agreements in maintaining levels of skills in the construction industry.

Mark Prisk: As the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise I have regular discussions with the construction industry on skills and training. In October 2011 I met with the chairman of Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and chief executive officer of Construction Skills to discuss apprenticeships. A further meeting with Construction Skills is scheduled for February 2012.
	Employers and employees are best placed to assess skills and training needs in national agreements.

Construction: Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what construction industry-related visits he has undertaken since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: As the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, I regularly visit a wide range of organisations including those in the construction sector.

Construction: Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the level of skill retention in the construction sector.

Mark Prisk: The UK Commission for Employment and Skills has produced a National Skills Audit report (Skills for Jobs: Today and Tomorrow) that provides detailed intelligence about the operation and structure of the labour market, including assessments of specific sectors such as construction. In addition Labour Market Intelligence reports are produced by Construction Skills through the Construction Skills Network (CSN). CSN is a unique method of establishing the future skills and training requirements of the UK construction industry and provides a consensus view of the current and future skills training needs.

Construction: Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will meet representatives from construction industry trade unions to discuss the effects of recent changes in training requirements by some employers; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: There is trade union representation on the boards of the sector skills councils, which discuss changes to training and skills requirements for each industry. Discussions on specific changes by some employers to training requirements in the construction industry should first be addressed by the trade unions to the Construction Skillsboard. Ministers do meet with trade union representatives from the sector. In December 2011 the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, my hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes), met with Unite to discuss new national agreements for construction workers.

Construction: Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of future prospects for the construction industry.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not forecast trends in construction output. We do monitor estimates of future growth that are produced by others, particularly Experian and the Construction Products Association (CPA).
	In its latest forecast, the CPA forecasts that the construction sector will contract by 5.2% in 2012. The sector is expected to return to growth in 2013 (0.4%) before accelerating to 3.8% in 2014 and 4.6% in 2015.
	Experian's winter forecast is that output will fall by 5.6% this year. Recovery is forecast in 2013 (1.1%), with growth strengthening to 4.7% in 2014. Experian do not produce forecasts beyond 2014.
	Construction Skills Network (CSN) use Experian forecasts to look at implications for skills/employment. CSN's most recent report, published in January 2012, predicts that construction employment will decline in 2012 and 2013, but will start growing again in 2014 to reach just under 2.6 million by 2016.

Copyright: Education

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) economic advice and (b) other evidence he took account of before publication of his Department's Impact Assessment BIS0317 on 2 December 2011 entitled Extending Copyright Exceptions for Educational Use.

Edward Davey: Impact assessment BIS0317 was prepared with the advice of Government economists, using publicly available data. It is an initial assessment of potential costs and benefits of different policy options. We hope that interested parties will respond to the Government's copyright consultation, which runs from 14 December to 21 March 2012, and invite them to submit economic evidence to help inform our final impact assessment. The consultation and the accompanying initial impact assessments are available in the Libraries of the House and on the website of the Intellectual Property Office.

Copyright: Education

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what organisations and individuals were consulted before publication of his Department's impact assessment BIS0317 on 2 December 2011 entitled Extending Copyright Exceptions for Educational Use.

Edward Davey: Impact assessment BIS0317 was prepared using publicly available data, including evidence provided to the Intellectual Property Office by interested parties. An initial impact assessment such as this provides a starting point for consultation and discussion with stakeholders by setting out the potential impacts on different groups arising from the options under consideration. The Government's copyright consultation, which runs from 14 December to 21 March 2012, will provide an opportunity for interested organisations and individuals to contribute evidence and data to help inform more robust assessment and analysis of the options under consideration.

Copyright: Education

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information is held by the Intellectual Property Office regarding blanket licences offered by the Educational Licensing Agency to local authorities for the purposes of licensing schools in their area; and how licence fees monies are used for the benefit of performers and other rights owners.

Edward Davey: The Intellectual Property Office holds no such information. The collecting societies which offer such licences are privately run commercial entities, and are not subject to direct Government regulation in the discharge of these functions. The uses to which collected monies are put are a matter for the societies concerned, and their members.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contracts his Department has awarded to Deloitte since May 2010; and what the (a) net and (b) individual monetary value was of each such contract.

Edward Davey: Central records show that the Department has made 27 payments to Deloitte since May 2010 totalling a net value of £3,252,322.77.
	Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Correspondence

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of (a) posting his Department's letter on England's National Apprenticeship Week to hon. Members representing seats in Scotland and (b) printing those letters; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: Letters on England's National Apprenticeship Week were taken to the House of Commons and distributed to all hon. Members. This incurred minimal cost.
	The cost of printing letters for the 59 Scottish Members was 19 pence.

Education: Ex-servicemen

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely cost to his Department of tuition fees incurred by service leavers in cases where fees exceed the sums provided by the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills expects to provide funding to the scheme of around £700,000 in 2011-12, and around £3.3 million in 2012-13. The Department is meeting in full the additional cost to the scheme of the increase in tuition fees in September 2012, and this accounts for the rise in costs in 2012-13.
	The Department's contribution to the scheme for 2013-14 and 2014-15 is still to be determined.

Exports

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which countries ranked the highest in the 20 per cent. rise in UK exports of manufactured goods to non-EU markets.

Mark Prisk: The table shows that UK exports of goods to non-EU markets increased by £20 billion (20%) between 2009 and 2010, as referred to in the question.
	The countries to see the largest increase in UK exports between 2009 and 2010 were the USA (up £3.9 billion or 12%), China (up £2.1 billion or 41%), Switzerland (up £1.3 billion or 35%), Russia (up £1.2 billion or 51%), and India (up £1.1 billion or 37%).
	More recent data also shows that UK exports of goods in January to November 2011 (the latest available) increased by £15 billion (14%) on January to November 2010.
	The countries to see the largest increase in UK exports between January to November 2010 and January to November 2011 were India (up £1.4 billion or 40%), China (up £1.4 billion or 21%), Russia (up £1.2 billion or 39%), USA (up £1.2 billion or 3%), and Australia (up £0.9 billion or 32%).
	The table shows that apart from a dip in 2009, non-EU exports of goods have generally increased in value over recent years. Almost half of all UK goods exports are to non-EU markets.
	Data for the calendar year 2011 will be published by HMRC in February 2012.
	
		
			 UK exports of goods with the EU and non-EU, 2005-10 
			  EU Non-EU 
			  £ billion Percentage change £ billion Percentage change 
			 2005 121 — 91 — 
			 2006 153 26 92 1 
			 2007 127 -17 93 2 
			 2008 141 11 108 16 
			 2009 124 -12 101 -6 
			 2010 142 14 121 20 
			 Note: Figures for the EU do not include MTIC or late response estimates. Source: HMRC, Overseas Trade Statistics

Further Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of adults in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland who will complete Access to Higher Education courses in each of the next 10 years.

David Willetts: Education and training is a devolved matter and we are not responsible for Access to HE courses undertaken elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
	Estimates of the number of adult learners in further education colleges and training organisations in England are made for those periods for which the available level of funding is known. The Skills Investment Statement 2011-14, published in December 2011, sets out indicative learner numbers and learners provision mix up to and including the 2013/14 academic year. This is available at the following link:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/s/11-1374-skills-investment-statement-2011-2014
	These illustrative numbers are not broken down by course type, as colleges and training organisations have the freedom to provide courses which respond to demand from individuals and employers.

Graduates: Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average duration is of placements classified as internships advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool website hosted by his Department.

David Willetts: Of the vacancies advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool website on 23 January 2011, 94% specified the length of the internships. 77% of these specified a period of between four and six months, 11.5% a period of two to three months, 9.7% a period of seven to 12 months, and 1.3% less than a month.

Graduates: Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average wage is paid by jobs advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool website hosted by his Department.

David Willetts: This Department does not hold this information. The actual rate of remuneration is agreed between the graduate intern and employer. The Government are clear that those who are entitled to the minimum wage should receive it, and the Graduate Talent Pool website directs employers to comprehensive information about their obligation to comply with national minimum wage legislation.

Graduates: Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of internships advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool website hosted by his Department are unpaid.

David Willetts: During December 2011, 2,259 internships vacancies were advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool. Of these, just under a quarter (or 600) were unpaid. More than 500 of these unpaid vacancies were from charitable organisations.

Graduates: Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the unpaid internships scheme advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool website hosted by his Department.

David Willetts: We want to make as many opportunities as possible available to talented young people from all backgrounds and avoid closing down potentially valuable options, for example where the intern is acting as a volunteer. For this reason we do not rule out unpaid internships on the Graduate Talent Pool, but guidance on the website and the vacancy quality assurance process together ensure that no employer is left in any doubt about his or her obligation to comply with national minimum wage legislation.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the introduction of a groceries code adjudicator; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I have received letters from a wide range of individual companies, industry bodies and campaigning groups on the introduction of a Groceries Code Adjudicator, as well as Members from both Houses. Additionally, I and my officials have met a range of key stakeholders including the British Retail Consortium, the Federation for Small Businesses, the Food and Drink Federation and the National Farmers' Union.

High Street Review

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration the Independent Review of the High Street gave to the merits of referring the matter of the level of competition between supermarkets and small independent retailers to the Competition Commission.

Edward Davey: The Independent Review of the High Street by Mary Portas considered a wide range of issues facing high streets and town centres. The published report contained those issues which Ms Portas considered most important. The report made 28 recommendations, to which the Government intend to respond to in the spring. However, she made no recommendations regarding the independent competition authorities, or Government intervention in the retail market.

Insolvency

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2012, Official Report, column 410W, on insolvency, when statistics of personal insolvencies including bankruptcies, individual voluntary arrangements and debt relief orders in each parliamentary constituency for 2010 will be published.

Edward Davey: Official Statistics for individual constituencies are not published by the Insolvency Service but are available upon request following publication of the higher level figures.
	The Insolvency Service publishes individual insolvencies broken down by Government office region, county, unitary authority and county district within England and Wales. The most recent published information, to 2009, is available at:
	http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/regionalstatisticsmenu.htm
	Similar figures for 2010 and 2011 will be published in the first half of 2012. It is not yet possible to provide the precise date for publication of this information, but it will be announced on the Insolvency Service website four weeks prior to publication.

One North East

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the gross value-added economic output generated by regional economic investment by One North East in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: We do not have direct information on the increase in gross value added generated by regional economic investment by One North East (ONE).
	However, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates, on average each pound spent by the Regional Development Agencies led to £4.5 worth of gross value-added. Between 2006 and 2010 ONE spent around £1.2 billion, which would suggest around £5.5 billion worth of gross value-added.

Postgraduate Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support organisations to promote the economic and social value of postgraduate education in the UK.

David Willetts: With funding from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the Research Councils support around 19,000 doctoral students and the Higher Education Funding Council for England provides support for the costs incurred by higher education institutions in supervising postgraduate research students.
	Over 60% of the 4,500 Research Council doctoral graduates produced each year will move from higher education, taking their skills into the wider economy. The Research Councils seek to ensure that this supply of highly trained people meets the need for specialist postgraduate research skills in a wide range of employment sectors. For example, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council provide funding for industrial doctorate centres. Students at these centres undertake a PhD level research project while spending about 75% of their time working directly with a company.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many projects the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre is sponsoring.

David Willetts: The High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre does not itself sponsor projects. The majority of the centre's core funding is used to purchase and install new, cutting edge equipment in the Catapult, and to carry out projects using this and existing equipment to develop its knowledge and skills to support the needs of business.
	The centre will participate in collaborative research and development projects which it will need to win competitively through applying to the Technology Strategy Board, European Union or other funding programmes. The centre will also undertake contract research on behalf of business.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funds the Technology Strategy Board has allocated to the Cell Therapy Catapult Centre.

David Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board is in the process of establishing the Cell Therapy Catapult centre. As yet, no funds have been invested. We expect the funding for each Catapult centre, with the exception of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, will be in the region of £10 million per annum.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether a leadership team has been appointed for the Cell Therapy Catapult Centre.

David Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board is actively recruiting the leadership team for the Cell Therapy Catapult centre. No appointments have been made yet.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Cell Therapy Catapult Centre will be operational.

David Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board is currently working to establish the Cell Therapy Catapult centre and plan to have the centre operational in the next six months, dependent upon the appointment of the leadership team. Once operational, we would expect the centre to have a period where it is increasing activity to establish full capability.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to announce the location of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult Centre.

David Willetts: We expect to make an announcement of the winning consortium and location soon.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the location of the Satellite Applications Catapult will be announced.

David Willetts: The intention to establish a new Catapult centre in Satellite Applications was announced on 4 January 2012. The Catapult will provide in-orbit test facilities allowing innovative UK organisations the opportunity to demonstrate new satellite technologies leading to a new generation of satellite-based products and services.
	The decision on the location of the centre will be taken with the selected organisation or organisations that will run the centre. The Technology Strategy Board issued further information on the process for selecting the organisation or organisations on 26 January 2012. The outcome of that process will be known in the summer, with the Catapult expected to be open for business in autumn 2012.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who the members are of the Technology and Innovation Centre Catapult Centre independent oversight committee; when and where the committee meets; and what remuneration its members receive.

David Willetts: The members of the Oversight Committee are as follows:
	Dr David Grant, Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff University—Chair
	Dame Sue Ion, Non-Executive Board Member, Health & Safety Laboratory
	Trudy Norris-Grey, MD—Strategy, Portfolio & Transformation, BT plc
	Philip Rutnam, Director-General—Business Group, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	Dr Mike Short, Vice President—Public Affairs, Telefonica Europe and President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology
	Martin Temple, Chairman, EEF
	Steve Visscher, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, BBSRC
	David Way, Director of Knowledge Exchange & Special Projects, Technology Strategy Board
	The Committee meets on a quarterly basis. Two meetings have so far been held which took place in the Technology Strategy Board offices in Swindon and at the National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol, with the next meeting to be held at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) at Coventry. The NCC and MTC are both consortium members of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
	The members of the Committee do not receive remuneration for their involvement. The Technology Strategy Board does however pay for reasonable travel and subsistence costs incurred.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what services to business are available from existing Catapult centres; how businesses can access them; and what payment is required.

David Willetts: Businesses can work with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre in a number of ways. They can partner with the centre in collaborative research and development projects where the centre provides the equipment, knowledge and expertise needed to support the project, with the business contributing its expertise. These projects may arise from competitions run by the European Union, such as Framework 7, and from the Technology Strategy Board.
	Businesses can also contract direct with the centre to do research on their behalf or to access specialist equipment which the company is unlikely to be able to afford otherwise. In this case it is a private arrangement and the business would pay a commercial rate for the services they use. The Catapult centres will also provide programmes tailored to meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to promote international awareness of Catapult centres.

David Willetts: There has already been considerable international interest in the Catapult centres from a wide range of countries. The Technology Strategy Board is working with United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the Science and Innovation Network to raise awareness of the Catapult centres internationally and is looking to establish links between the Catapult centres and similar centres based in other countries. The High Value Manufacturing Catapult already has good international outreach, building on the experience of the seven partner centres of the Catapult.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Catapult centres there will be by the end of 2012.

David Willetts: holding answer 26 January 2012
	As stated in the strategy and implementation plan published by the Technology Strategy Board in May 2011, we intend to have all the Catapults operational, with funding in place, by March 2013.
	The High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre is operational. The Cell Therapy and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult centres were announced last year; the Technology Strategy Board is currently working to establish these centres and plan to have them operational in the next six months. The Satellite Applications Catapult centre was announced on 4 January and we expect to make further announcements shortly.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding the Technology Strategy Board has provided to the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre; and what the names are of the entities receiving the funding.

David Willetts: holding answer 26 January 2012
	We are investing £140 million over six years in the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre.
	The agreed core grant funding for the centre for financial year 2011/12 is £21 million. To date, the Technology Strategy Board has provided the centre with funding of £4.6 million since the centre started formal operations in October 2011. In addition a grant for working capital of £1 million will be paid to the centre.
	The High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre consists of a core organisation (a company limited by guarantee set-up especially for the Catapult) and seven member centres. All Technology Strategy Board funding will be paid to this core organisation.
	The seven members are:
	Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde)
	Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Sheffield)
	Centre for Process Innovation Ltd, Wilton and Sedgefield
	Manufacturing Technology Centre Ltd, Coventry
	Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, (University of Sheffield)
	Warwick Manufacturing Group, Coventry, (University of Warwick)

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what private sector funds the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre has attracted.

David Willetts: holding answer 26 January 2012
	The Catapult centres will work on a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3, model, with broadly equal funding from the core Technology Strategy Board grant, from research and development grants collaboratively with business won competitively by the Catapult, and from contract research funded fully by business. Hence, when fully established, we would expect approximately 50% of the Catapult funding to come from the private sector.
	For the six month period from October 2011 to March 2012, the Catapult centre is projecting commercial income of £10 million (plus a further £10 million of in-kind contributions from industrial clients). Given that a number of the member centres are in the start-up phase, this is encouraging.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff work for the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre; and at what grades.

David Willetts: holding answer 26 January 2012
	In total the seven member centres of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult employ 625 staff, although this is changing as the new centres recruit. The central core organisation, the HVM Catapult Company Ltd by guarantee, currently has no employees, although the Technology Strategy Board is actively recruiting and functions are being carried out by the staff from the member organisations. The Catapult centre and members do not use public sector grades.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) operating and (b) capital budget is of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre.

David Willetts: holding answer 26 January 2012
	The budget of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre for the six month period of operation during financial year 2011/12 is as follows:
	£21 million Catapult core grant from Technology Strategy Board.
	The total budget income for the Catapult centre is approximately £25 million operating and £25 million capital. This covers all aspects of operation including core grant, commercial contracts and funding from other sources including the European regional development fund, regional growth fund, EU Framework 7 and Technology Strategy Board collaborative R&D grants.
	The Technology Strategy Board and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre are in the process of finalising the business plan and budget for the next five years.

UK Trade and Investment

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects on service delivery of the reduction in international trade advisers at UK Trade and Investment since 2011.

Mark Prisk: The reduction in the number of international trade advisers (ITAs) was due largely to a reduced level of funding. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), continues to make efficiencies in running its business and, since the start of the 2011/12 financial year, it recycled savings into the front line and enabled its delivery partners to recruit ITAs. This is starting to make good the shortfall following the Government’s spending review. UKTI is seeking to achieve more with less through the intelligent use of networks to multiply its impact and by working in partnership with organisations who present a complementary offer to exporters such as banks and accountants.
	In addition, in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), autumn statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, announced additional funding for UKTI. Some of that money will be used to recruit new ITAs to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and mid-size businesses in developing their export capability.

CABINET OFFICE

Alix Partners

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many former civil servants have applied to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to take up an appointment to Alix Partners in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: All civil servants are subject to the provisions of the business appointments rules as set out in the Civil Service Management Code. The independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments provides advice to the most senior civil servants. The Committee's advice is published on its website once the appointment is taken up or announced. The Committee's website can be accessed at:
	http://acoba.independent.gov.uk
	Individual Departments handle applications from other civil servants and this information is not held centrally.

Children: Yorkshire and the Humber

David Davis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children with (a) two parents working, (b) one parent working and (c) no parents working there were in (i) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (ii) East Yorkshire and (iii) the Humberside region in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what is the total number of children with a) two parents working, b) one parent working and c) no parents working in i) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, ii) East Yorkshire and iii) the Humberside region in the latest period for which figures are available. 92175.
	The table shows estimates for the period of January to December 2010 and are derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Please note that it is not possible to provide reliable estimates for the parliamentary constituency Haltemprice and Howden because the sample sizes are not sufficiently large. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results.
	
		
			 Number of children (1, 2 ) with one, both or no parents working in Haltemprice and Howden constituencies, east Yorkshire and Humberside region, January to December 2010, not seasonally adjusted 
			 Thousand 
			  (a) Both parents working (b) One parent working (c) No parents working 
			 East Yorkshire 43 13 (3)5 
			 The Humberside(4) 84 53 34 
			 (1) Children aged 0 to 15. (2) The average is the total number of children aged 0 to 15 divided by the total number of families with children aged 0 to 15. (3) Estimates have RSE>20 and are not considered reliable for practical purposes. (4) The estimates for the Humberside region is an aggregate of responses from the following local authorities: East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire. Note: Parents of the children in this analysis live in the same household, therefore children of lone-parent families can only be accounted for in columns (b) and (c). Source: ONS Annual Population Survey.

Co-operatives: Harrogate and Knaresborough

Andrew Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what support prospective mutuals in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency can access from his Department.

Francis Maude: Public sector staff who want to take control of the services they run can access support through the Mutuals Support Programme. The programme is made up of the following elements:
	The Mutuals Information Service website
	http://mutuals.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
	gives information on the process of becoming a mutual, case studies, high-level guidance and access to a resource library. There will also be an online forum launched shortly.
	There is a dedicated hotline on 0845 5390543 which will assess business needs of fledgling mutuals and provide appropriate expert advice, guidance and support.
	The most promising fledgling mutuals will be eligible for funds from the Mutuals Support Programme. This is a fund of more than £10 million, administered by the Cabinet Office, used to fund contracts for support in the form of business and professional services (such as HR, legal, financial, tax and business planning) to groups of staff or existing mutual organisations in the public sector, but will not give cash grants. Referrals to these funds will come from the hotline.

Departmental Recruitment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on recruitment agencies in each month since September 2011.

Francis Maude: The information requested in not held in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	A monthly breakdown of the Department's expenditure can be found on:
	www.data.gov.uk

Electoral Register

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were (a) registered to vote in each parliamentary constituency in December 2010 and (b) enumerated at the March 2011 Census as qualified to register to vote.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were (a) registered to vote in each parliamentary constituency in December 2010 and (b) enumerated at the March 2011 Census as qualified to register to vote (92686)
	The attached table shows the number of people who were registered to vote in parliamentary elections by constituency on 1 December 2010. A copy of the table has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	Population estimates from the 2011 Census will not be published until later this summer. These will be estimates of the resident population by local authority area and age and sex. Information on nationality and citizenship that could be used to help assess eligibility to vote will be published later in 2012.

Empty Properties: Essex

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Government-owned properties in Essex are currently empty or underused.

Nick Hurd: The Government's electronic Property Information Mapping Service (e-PIMS) identifies seven marketable vacant space records within the county of Essex. In addition there are two surplus land records which include buildings. Details are identified within the Excel spreadsheet which will be placed in the Library of the House. The Government are looking at how best to address these surpluses.
	e-PIMS does hot currently explicitly record underused space.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Office publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office including the Prime Minister’s Office publishes on its website responses to requests for information where there is a substantial public, rather than private, interest. Details are published on the Freedom of Information pages of the website on each occasion. No information is available about the time taken between responding to a request and the information becoming available on the website but the aim is to do so as quickly as possible.
	There is no change in practice from the previous Administration.

Government Departments: Computers

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average cost is of a laptop purchased by the Government.

Francis Maude: holding answer 19 January 2012
	Information required is not held in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However the average price paid for laptop computers bought through Government Procurement Service's framework agreements during financial year 2010-11 is £558.91.
	Departments publish the average cost of their desktop IT in the Quarterly Data Summary.

Government Departments: Contracts

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how the performance of services outsourced to private companies is assessed in different Government Departments; and what guidelines his Department issues on such assessment.

Francis Maude: The responsibility for contract management, including the key performance indicators to be monitored, rests with the individual contracting authorities as the specific aspects of performance measurement will vary according to the contract.
	The Cabinet Office has issued a contract management checklist, which includes a section on service delivery and can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/contract_management_checklist.pdf
	Further guidance is published at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/good-practice-management-framework.pdf

Merchant Navy: Medals

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what consideration he has given to including the Merchant Navy Medal in the orders of wear.

Francis Maude: The Merchant Navy Medal is not part of the UK Honours System and thus has no place in the Order of Wear. The Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals is responsible for considering any departmental recommendations relating to medals policy should they be received.

Merchant Navy: Medals

Geraint Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has any plans to make the Merchant Navy Medal part of the UK Honours system.

Francis Maude: The Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals is responsible for considering any departmental recommendations relating to medals policy.

Office for Civil Society

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date the Office for Civil Society moved to HM Treasury; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The Office for Civil Society moved to 1 Horse Guards in two stages during the course of May 2011 and continues to remain part of the Cabinet Office.

Public Data Corporation

Andrew Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has for the future of the Public Data Corporation.

Nick Hurd: In the autumn statement last November, the Government announced the establishment of a data strategy board and a public data group as part of its commitment to create a public data corporation. These organisations will maximise the value of the data from the Met Office, Ordnance Survey, the Land Registry and Companies House and will make available for free a range of core reference datasets from these bodies to support the development of high-value data businesses.
	The Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are currently agreeing Terms of Reference for both organisations. The Government will publish the summary of responses to the Consultation on Data Policy for a Public Data Corporation which took place last summer.

Public Sector: Pay

Damian Collins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the proportion of Government spending, excluding debt payments, which was allocated to (a) salaries and (b) pension payments and contributions for public sector workers in each year since 1997.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General of ONS, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the estimate of the proportion of government spending, excluding debt payments which was committed to (a) salaries and (b) pension payments and contributions for public sector workers in each year since 1997. (92269).
	The two tables show;
	general government current spending excluding debt interest payments,
	general government spending on wages and salaries, and
	general government total employers’ contributions (including pension contributions).
	General government wages and salaries and total employers’ contributions are presented in pounds sterling and as a proportion of the total general government spending excluding debt payments. Table 1 provides the data by calendar year and Table 2 by financial year.
	The figures include pension payments and contributions of employees in central and local government, but not those in public corporations.
	
		
			 Table 1: General Government spending on wages and salaries and employer contributions by calendar year (1) : 1997-2010 United Kingdom 
			  General Government current spending excluding debt payments (£ million) General Government wages and salaries (£ million) Proportion of general Government spending excluding debt interest payments (percentage) General Government total employers’ contributions (£ million) Proportion of general Government spending excluding debt interest payments (percentage) 
			 1997 274960 68599 24.9 14811 5.4 
			 1998 282439 69251 24.5 15648 5.5 
			 1999 295526 72647 24.6 16521 5.6 
			 2000 314709 76971 24.5 17794 5.7 
			 2001 334393 83913 25.1 19012 5.7 
			 2002 365450 90375 24.7 20315 5.6 
			 2003 395490 100568 25.4 20910 5.3 
			 2004 424431 107948 25.4 24035 5.7 
			 2005 450460 114754 25.5 26848 6.0 
			 2006 474860 120855 25.5 28488 6.0 
			 2007 496752 122895 24.7 30862 6.2 
			 2008 526847 124934 23.7 32735 6.2 
			 2009 561860 127294 22.7 35013 6.2 
			 2010 583577 130231 22.3 37058 6.4 
			 (1) Data presented are consistent with the Public Sector Finances statistical bulletin published on 24 January 2012 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: General Government spending on wages and salaries and employer contributions by financial year (1) : 1997-98 to 2010-11 United Kingdom 
			  General Government spending excluding debt payments (£ million) General Government wages and salaries (£ million) Proportion of general Government spending excluding debt payments (percentage) General Government total employers’ contributions (£ million) Proportion of general Government spending excluding debt payments (percentage) 
			 1997-98 275700 68302 24.8 15115 5.5 
			 1998-99 284038 70082 24.7 15747 5.5 
			 1999-2000 299980 73634 24.5 16825 5.6 
			 2000-01 320103 78075 24.4 18168 5.7 
			 2001-02 341936 85345 25.0 19291 5.6 
			 2002-03 371886 92662 24.9 20696 5.6 
			 2003-04 402467 102365 25.4 21343 5.3 
			 2004-05 432135 110140 25.5 24396 5.6 
			 2005-06 458149 117219 25.6 27727 6.1 
			 2006-07 478986 121056 25.3 29116 6.1 
			 2007-08 505502 123309 24.4 31576 6.2 
			 2008-09 533777 126475 23.7 33048 6.2 
			 2009-10 571169 127169 22.3 36268 6.3 
			 2010-11 585967 131093 22.4 36886 6.3 
			 (1) Data presented are consistent with the Public Sector Finances statistical bulletin published on 24 January 2012.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions civil servants from different Government Departments have considered the big society agenda at inter-departmental meetings hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: Big society is an integral part of work that is happening across Government. Civil servants at the Cabinet Office meet frequently with colleagues in other Departments to discuss the big society agenda, and specific policies and programmes relating to it.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Auckland Castle: Art Works

Helen Goodman: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church Commissioners have for the future of Auckland Castle and the Zurbaran paintings; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners have approved terms for the sale of the Zurbaran paintings at Auckland Castle and the castle itself. The sale will facilitate the creation of a visitor attraction, encouraging regeneration in both the town and the region. This is of benefit to the church, town, county and region. The acquisition is by two trusts, each of which has Mr Jonathan Ruffer as a trustee.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Cohesion

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to announce his policy on community cohesion.

Andrew Stunell: Government's role is to create the conditions which enable integration to happen in all places and all communities. We will not impose a top-down, centrally designed and implemented programme but will trust people to take the lead in their local areas.
	Both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister have explained how seriously we take this task and we will publish a document giving more detail on this shortly.

Community Cohesion

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to announce his policy on community cohesion.

Andrew Stunell: Government’s role is to create the conditions which enable integration to happen in all places and all communities. We will not impose a top-down, centrally designed and implemented programme but will trust people to take the lead in their local areas.
	Both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister have explained how seriously we take this task and we will publish a document giving more detail on this shortly.

Fire and Rescue Service

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of changes in the level of funding from the public purse to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service between 2011-12 and 2014-15.

Bob Neill: Fire and rescue authorities have been given protection with savings back-loaded to allow changes without affecting the quality and breadth of services provided to communities.
	The spending power change for Manchester is -5.2% in 2011-12 and -1.9% in 2012-13.
	The Government have set out their proposals to allow local authorities, including fire and rescue authorities, to benefit from business rates retention from 2013-14.
	I also refer the hon. Member to my letter of 6 December 2010, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, which outlines how fire and rescue authorities can make sensible savings without impacting on the quality and breadth of services offered to their communities.

Coastal Communities Fund

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the criteria for allocation of the Coastal Communities Fund.

Grant Shapps: My Department will be issuing a prospectus shortly giving details of the proposed design and delivery of the new Coastal Communities Fund, to be administered in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund. It will include the criteria to be used to assess applications.
	We will ensure that all MPs representing coastal constituencies, coastal local authorities and other interested parties receive a copy of the prospectus for the fund.

Coastal Communities Fund

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the use of the Coastal Communities Fund; and what his policy is on the future of the fund.

Grant Shapps: The Coastal Communities Fund is not yet in operation as funding only becomes available on 1 April. My Department will be issuing a prospectus shortly giving details of the proposed design and delivery of the fund, to be administered in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund. There is a commitment to review the operation of the new fund after the first year's awards have been made. The fund is intended to be a rolling programme with annual bidding rounds in future years.
	All MPs with coastal constituencies, coastal local authorities and other interested bodies will receive a copy of the prospectus for the fund.

Countryside: Planning

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of the draft National Planning Policy Framework on undesignated countryside in England.

Greg Clark: holding answer 24 January 2012
	The consultation stage impact assessment accompanying the draft National Planning Policy Framework looks at a full range of environmental, social and economic impacts. A final impact assessment will be published alongside the final National Planning Policy Framework. To preserve the natural environment, the draft states that local plans should seek to allocate land for development with the least environmental or amenity value, and should plan positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of networks of biodiversity and green infrastructure.

Local Government Finance

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in how many cases Ministers have exercised their powers to pay additional grant under section 85 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 in each local authority in each year since 1990.

Bob Neill: holding answer 24 January 2012
	The power to pay additional grant under section 85 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 has been exercised just once in 1992, in consequence of the Government making an order under the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991, giving effect to the recommendations of the review body appointed for the purpose of that Act in relation to teachers' pay for 1992-93. Since implementation of the Local Government Finance Act 2003, if additional grant has been required following a Local Government Finance report, the Government have paid grant under section 31 of that Act. In this context, the Section 85 powers are therefore redundant.

Mayors: Coventry

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2012, Official Report, column 906W, on mayors: Coventry, if he will place in the Library a copy of the letters sent to Coventry City Council on the costs of the referendum on elected mayors.

Greg Clark: I have today placed in the Library of the House, a copy of the two letters sent to Coventry city council on the costs of the referendum on elected mayors.

Regional Growth Fund

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been transferred to the Regional Growth Fund to date; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: Funding for the Regional Growth Fund has been profiled for the spending review period. It was announced in the autumn statement that the Regional Growth Fund would allocate an additional £1 billion over the spending period bringing the total to be allocated to £2.4 billion by March 2015.

Shops: Closures

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes in business rates on the number of shop closures in (a) Hartlepool constituency, (b) the north-east and (c) England; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: No assessment has been made of the effect of recent changes in business rates on the number of shop closures in (a) Hartlepool constituency, (b) the north-east and (c) England.
	This Government have doubled small business rate relief for two and a half years, which will benefit about half a million ratepayers (with about a third of a million paying no rates at all for that period). This increased tax relief will have supported small shops across the country. We have also taken powers, through the Localism Act, to waive £175 million of backdated business rates demands levied on businesses, including some in ports, to increase the take-up of small business rate relief by making it easier to claim, and to give local authorities powers to provide discounts on business rates bills.

Sustainable Communities Act 2007

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether the regulations required by the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Act 2010 will contain a duty on local authorities to try to reach agreement with communities;
	(2)  whether the regulations required by the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Act 2010 will contain a time limit for dealing with proposals made under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007;
	(3)  when he expects regulations required by the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Act 2010 will be laid before Parliament;
	(4)  whether the regulations required by the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Act 2010 will contain the right for town and parish councils to submit proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.

Greg Clark: The Government are considering the scope of regulations under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 following the consultation exercise conducted last year. We are aiming to make the regulations shortly.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer parliamentary questions 90352 and 90353 on council tax.

Grant Shapps: Parliamentary questions 90352 and 90353 were answered on 25 January 2012, Official Report, column 242-43W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Elections

Simon Hart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Office has plans to review the level of deposit made by candidates at parliamentary elections.

Mark Harper: There are no current plans to change the level of deposit which candidates are required to pay in order to stand at UK parliamentary elections, although the Government remains open to representations on the matter. The deposit is intended to strike a balance between allowing candidates to participate while acting as a disincentive to those with no real prospect of success.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Doctors

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for accident and emergency doctors in the NHS.

Simon Burns: The NHS Information Centre suspended collection of this data for 2011. A public consultation on the Fundamental Review of Data Returns closed in November 2011. We expect the consultation response to be published during February.
	The Department is able to provide data about the number of job advertisements placed on NHS Jobs by employers in the NHS as a proxy measure.
	There are 116 adverts(1) for emergency doctors on NHS Jobs that expire on 26 January 2012 or later. There were adverts(2) for 218 doctors in emergency medicine where the advert closed after 1 January 2012 but before 26 January 2012.
	(1 )Data gathered from NHS Jobs 25 January 2012.
	(2 )Ibid.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people with Alzheimer's disease;
	(2)  how much money is spent on care for those with Alzheimer's disease; and how much money is spent for medication for treatment of Alzheimer's.

Paul Burstow: Information on spending on care for Alzheimer's disease, by the national health service and local authorities, is not collected centrally. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, in its report “The £20 Billion Question—An inquiry into improving lives through cost-effective dementia services” (2011) that the financial cost of dementia in the United Kingdom is estimated to be £20 billion a year.
	Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are classified under section 4.11 (Drugs for dementia) of the British National Formulary (BNF). These drugs are Donepezil, Galantamine, Rivastigmine and Memantine. All of these drugs have been included in the following tables. It should be noted that Rivastigmine is also licensed for dementia associated with Parkinson's disease.
	
		
			 Table 1: Net ingredient cost (NIC) for BNF Section 4.11 Drugs used for dementia dispensed in England for the latest year available 
			  NIC (£000) 
			 2010 96,054.6 
			 Source: Prescription Cost Analysis database 
		
	
	We can also provide information on the use of these drugs within hospitals in England. These figures are based on a sample and are costed using standard price lists. The figures therefore do not necessarily represent the actual amounts paid by the hospitals.
	
		
			 Table 2: Estimated cost for drugs in BNF Section 4.11 used in hospitals in England for the latest year available 
			  Cost (£000) 
			 2010 11,789.5 
			 Source: Hospital Pharmacy Audit Index database 
		
	
	It is estimated that approximately 610,000 people in England have dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's Disease: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) medical professionals and (b) NHS officials about the new Alzheimer's treatment Cognitive Stimulation Therapy.

Paul Burstow: Guidance on treatments and therapies are issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Its guidance on dementia, supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care (2006), identified cognitive stimulation as an area where more research is needed. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy is one of a number of treatments and therapies available for dementia. Clinicians can, and do, decide which course of treatment to prescribe to individual patients with dementia, based on each individual's specific needs.

Arthritis: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) arthritis care groups and (b) Queen's University Belfast on new treatments for arthritis in the hands.

Paul Burstow: It is for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, together with relevant professional organisations, to assess new treatment options for people with arthritis in the hands.

Brain: Injuries

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of information on post-traumatic hypopituitarism to patients who have suffered head injury;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic hypopituitarism;
	(3)  if he will consider introducing routine screening of head injury patients for post-traumatic hypopituitarism.

Paul Burstow: The Department has received a small amount of correspondence on this matter over the last year.
	We have made no assessment of the provision of information on post-traumatic hypopituitarism to patients who have suffered head injury.
	There are no plans to introduce routine screening of head injury patients for this condition.

Brain: Injuries

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to include information about post-traumatic hypopituitarism in its head injury guidelines;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on its head injury guidelines.

Paul Burstow: We have no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to include information about post-traumatic hypopituitarism in its head injury clinical guideline, and have had no discussions with NICE about its head injury clinical guideline. As an independent body, NICE is responsible for the development of its clinical guidelines in consultation with stakeholders. NICE is undertaking an update of its published head injury clinical guideline, and as part of that review will consult stakeholders on the detailed scope of the guideline.

Cancer: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has had any discussions on radiofrequency ablation as a new method to reduce cancerous tumours; and how widely used that method of treatment is.

Paul Burstow: The Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has had no discussions on radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a new method to reduce cancerous tumours.
	Provided in the following table is the number of finished consultant episodes in England by strategic health authority (SHA) in the last three years where RFA has been used in the treatment of patients with a primary diagnosis of cancer.
	To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been replaced with an asterisk. Where it was still possible to identify numbers from the total, an additional number (the next smallest) has been replaced. These data should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
	
		
			 SHA 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 
			 England total 873 693 596 
			     
			 North East England SHA 24 27 28 
			 North West SHA 70 53 53 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA 74 56 57 
			 East Midlands SHA 15 7 * 
			 West Midlands SHA 93 60 74 
			 East of England SHA 49 51 9 
			 London SHA 443 356 293 
			 South East Coast SHA 22 11 * 
			 South Central SHA 51 49 43 
			 South West SHA . 32 23 29

Carcinogens: Food

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research of the potential (a) carcinogenic and (b) other effects of parabens in (i) the food supply chain and (ii) cosmetics.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency has responsibility for food additive issues including the permitted preservatives ethyl and methyl parabens. All food additives have been thoroughly tested for safety prior to approval and have been reviewed by independent expert bodies, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These tests comprise a range of studies such as those for carcinogenicity, genotoxicity and metabolism. EFSA has concluded that ethyl and methyl parabens are safe to use in foods in line with the requirements of European Union food additive legislation.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has responsibility for cosmetics. We are advised cosmetics are regulated on a European basis, and parabens have their usage restricted under the Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC. The Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has investigated the use of parabens as recently as December 2010 and noted that there is no evidence of a demonstrable risk for the development of breast cancer caused by the use of underarm cosmetics containing parabens. There have also been investigations into possible other toxicity and developmental effects and recent opinions by the SCCS are that there is no concern except for propyl and butyl paraben in leave-on cosmetic products for children aged under six months which is under review.

Cystitis: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) the British Medical Association and (b) other organisations on improvements of treatment options for people with cystitis.

Paul Burstow: It is for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, together with relevant professional organisations, to assess new treatment options for people with cystitis.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contracts his Department has awarded to Deloitte since May 2010; and what the (a) net and (b) individual monetary value was of each such contract.

Simon Burns: The following table sets out information from the Department's central procurement system about the purchase orders (PO) with Deloitte that the Department created between 24 May 2010 and 25 November 2011.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Item description Category description PO value PO amount billed 
			 NHS PASA—Clearance of Accruals 2009-10. Already Actioned—Deloitte Miscellaneous—Other Expenses 10,110.40 10,110.40 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. Stage 1 32700. Stage 2 45650. Stage 3 41650 Accounting and auditing services 120,000.00 32,700.00 
			 Ipswich Hospitals NHS Trust—refresh Accounting and auditing services 11,000.00 11,000.00 
			 Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust Accounting and auditing services 130,000.00 84,724.00 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. HDD/WCR Stage 1, 2, and 3 Accounting and auditing services 95,000.00 63,736.00 
			 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust. NHSFT Financial Assessments Accounting and auditing services 95,000.00 63,736.00 
			 Devon Partnership HDD Accounting and auditing services 64,710.00 15,360.00 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospital Trust Stage 3 FT assessment Transition Due Diligence 87,234.00 87,234.00 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. NHSFT Financial Assessments Transition Due Diligence 130,000.00 81,112.00 
			 North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust. NHSFT Financial Assessments Transition Due Diligence 110,000.00 0.00 
			 NHS Connecting for Health ICT Contract Cost Review Cost Review 189,000.00 144,286.97 
			 Total  1,042,054.40 593,999.37

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the number of ministerial special advisers in his Department has increased to four; on what date the change took place; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) on 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 534W.

Diabetes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with diabetes organisations on dietary and exercise advice for people newly diagnosed with diabetes.

Paul Burstow: The Department maintains a dialogue with a number of organisations on a wide range of issues on diabetes.
	Advice on diet and exercise is included in the Diabetes Quality Standard produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in .2011.
	It is for local national health service organisations to deliver comprehensive high-quality and safe diabetes services, appropriate to the needs of their populations, taking the quality standard into account.
	The NHS is a devolved matter and the hon. Member may also wish to direct his question to the Northern Ireland Executive Minister for Health.

Disability: Children

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children are screened for (a) visual and (b) auditory impairment during a health assessment on school entry; what measures are in place to encourage such screening; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The data for both vision and hearing screening are not held centrally.
	The ‘Healthy Child Programme: pregnancy and the first five years’, is the evidence-based prevention and early intervention programme setting out the good practice framework for the delivery of services starting in pregnancy to promote optimal health and well-being and reduce health inequalities.
	As part of the screening schedule, the Healthy Child Programme recommends that commissioners ensure there is easy access for children of all ages to audiology services throughout childhood and children should be screened for visual impairment between four and five years of age by an orpthoptist -led service.

General Practitioners

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has provided to GPs who set up patient participation groups.

Simon Burns: The Patient Participation Directed Enhanced Service (that was agreed with the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association to apply from April 2011) provides general practitioner practices with a maximum payment of £1.10 per registered patient (equivalent to £60 million nationally) for those practices who successfully meet the agreed requirements, which includes setting up a patient reference group.

Health Services

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects to announce the results of the National Quality Board engagement exercise on the library of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Quality Standard NHS healthcare topics; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether Quality Standards relating to autism care for children and adults will be included in the National Quality Board library of Quality Standard NHS healthcare topics; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We expect to publish details of the Quality Standard topics being referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), following the engagement exercise, shortly. A copy of the referral letter to NICE will be placed in the Library when it is sent.

Health Services: Ex-servicemen

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the timetable is for the introduction of the Veterans' Information Service;
	(2)  what plans he has for future funding of the 24-hour support telephone line for veterans;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of issues relating to veterans' mental health.

Simon Burns: The Veterans' Information Service is in the process of being designed to satisfy some of the recommendations in the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire’s (Dr Murrison) “Fighting Fit” report. These were that a Veterans' Information Service (VIS) be deployed 12 months after a person leaves the armed forces, and that regulars and reserves are followed-up approximately 12 months after they leave. The VIS will be the final service to be put in place, and will enable us to ensure that consent is sought when someone leaves the armed forces for contact to be made 12 months later. This will reference services that are being established during 2011-12. The planned launch date for the VIS service is currently April 2012.
	It was noted in the “Fighting Fit” report that the Department of Health was in the process of "establishing a 24 hour helpline and improving the knowledge base of GPs ..." The first of these items has been completed through the establishment of the Combat Stress Veterans' 24-hour helpline. The Department worked with Combat Stress to procure a professional 24-hour mental health helpline aimed at the armed forces community. The tender was won by Rethink, and the Department provided a grant to Combat Stress to cover set-up, and one year's operations. The helpline was opened on 28 February 2011, and officially launched on 11 March 2011. The helpline is live with ongoing activity in conjunction with Combat Stress to strengthen the armed forces community awareness training of operatives and ensure awareness of complementary services as they come live. Up until December 2011, it had taken over 3,000 calls from over 1,600 different individuals. The helpline's initial one-year period of operations is being evaluated by the Department and a decision will soon be taken as to whether or not to extend the contract.
	The Department works closely with the Ministry of Defence, the national health service, their third sector strategic partners (Combat Stress and the Royal British Legion), and others in relation to veterans' mental health issues. The Department takes its responsibility towards the mental health of veterans very seriously and agreed to implement all the recommendations of the “Fighting Fit” report. In getting these initiatives up and running the Department has worked closely with the Ministry of Defence and others to publicise them, with official launches and media activity. All of these activities are contributing to raising awareness of these issues with health care professionals in particular and the public more generally. In addition, the Department's mental health strategy, “No health without mental health”, makes specific reference to the mental health needs of veterans.

Health Services: Finance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to payment by results tariffs for hospital treatment on the surpluses of primary care trusts in the North East;
	(2)  if he will issue guidance to primary care trusts on spending budget surpluses; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent representations he has received from (a) acute and (b) foundation trusts on changes to payment by results tariffs;
	(4)  what payment by results tariff was paid to each (a) acute trust and (b) foundation trust in (i) the North East, (ii) England in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The Department had not made an assessment of the effect of changes to the payment by results (PbR) tariffs on the surpluses of primary care trusts (PCTs).
	The NHS Operating Framework for 2012-13 states that the strategic health authority (SHA) and PCT surplus for 2011-12 will be carried forward into 2012-13. During 2012-13, we shall continue to draw down the surplus generated from previous years in a planned and managed way.
	In the last six months, Ministers have received one piece of correspondence from a foundation trust regarding maternity tariff arrangements for 2012-13.
	A table showing the amount paid to acute trusts from PCTs under the PbR tariff in the North East and England has been placed in the Library. For foundation trusts, this information is not held centrally.

Health Services: Older People

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what proportion of finished admission episodes the patient was over (a) 65, (b) 80 and (c) 90 years in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number and proportion of finished admission episodes (1)  for selected age group, 2006-07 to 2010-11 (2) 
			 Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  65 and over 80 and over 90 and over 
			  Number of FAE Percentage of all FAEs Number of FAE Percentage of all FAEs Number of FAE Percentage of all FAEs 
			 2010-11 5,072,951 34 1,870,980 13 335,274 2 
			 2009-10 4,906,724 34 1,800,586 12 300,498 2 
			 2008-09 4,718,112 33 1,718,406 12 284,974 2 
			 2007-08 4,369,758 32 1,571,078 12 268,358 2 
			 2006-07 4,194,408 32 1,504,736 12 265,587 2 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Assessing growth through time Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Hip Replacements

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations to replace existing hip and knee replacements have taken place in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The number of operations to replace existing hip and knee replacements that have taken place in England and Wales in each of the last five years and that were reported to the National Joint Registry is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Joints  
			  Hips Knees Total 
			 2007 7,152 3,850 11,002 
			 2008 7,531 4,593 12,124 
			 2009 7,884 . 4,960 12,844 
			 2010 8,478 5,444 13,922 
			 2011 8,296 4,939 13,235 
			 Total 39,341 23,786 63,127 
			 Source: National Joint Registry

Hospital Wards: Gender

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS hospitals no longer have mixed sex wards.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information about mixed-sex wards(1), but information is collected on the number of patients whose care is in breach of guidance on mixed-sex sleeping arrangements. The latest figures show a fall from 11,802 breaches in December 2010 to 767 in December 2011, when 73% (121) of all acute trusts reported zero breaches.
	Overall there has been a reduction of breaches of more than 94% in a fraction over a year. By publishing this regular and reliable data, bad performance has been highlighted and the number of breaches of the rules has been substantially reduced.
	The Government have made it clear that national health service organisations are expected to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, except where it is in the overall best interest of the patient, or reflects their personal choice. The commitment to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation can be found in The Operating Framework for the NHS in England for both 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	(1) Single-sex accommodation can be provided in:
	single-sex wards (i.e. the whole ward is occupied by men or women but not both);
	single rooms with adjacent single-sex toilet and washing facilities (preferably en suite); and
	single-sex accommodation within mixed wards (i.e. bays or rooms which accommodate either men or women, not both, with designated single-sex toilet and washing facilities preferably within or adjacent to the bay or room).

Infectious Diseases

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress he has made on training for (a) GPs and (b) hospital accident and emergency staff on spotting outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Anne Milton: The content and standard of health care training is the responsibility of the independent regulatory bodies.
	Through their role as the custodians of quality standards in education and practice, these organisations are committed to ensuring high quality patient care delivered by high quality health professionals and that health care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with the problems and conditions they will encounter in practice.
	The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections and related guidance (2010), requires providers of health care to have systems in place for the recognition of outbreaks of infectious diseases, which would include training accident and emergency department staff where relevant.

Learning Disability: Medical Equipment

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the future commissioning arrangements for alternative and augmentative communication aids.

Simon Burns: No separate assessment has been made.
	Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill the Government's intention is that the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) will directly commission a number of services including those specialised services which are currently provided at both national and regional level.
	No final decisions have yet been taken on the services the NHS CB will directly commission but Ministers expect to be in a position to do this later this year.

Medical Treatments

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many treatments have been undertaken by the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The available information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 Out-patient and in-patient hospital activity, England (commissioner based) 
			  Out-patients In-patients 
			  First attendances seen Subsequent attendances seen Total attendances seen Elective General and Acute FFCEs Non-elective General and Acute FFCEs Total General and Acute FFCEs 
			 2001-02 — — — 5,223,407 3,951,857 9,175,264 
			 2002-03 — — — 5,327,355 3,999,797 9,327,152 
			 2003-04 — — — 5,375,454 4,188,168 9,563,622 
			 2004-05 — — — 5,446,929 4,475,636 9,922,565 
			 2005-06 11,859,980 26,350,265 38,210,245 5,657,744 4,654,277 10,312,021 
			 2006-07 12,644,743 28,751,609 41,396,352 5,846,872 4,738,978 10,585,850 
			 2007-08 13,591,220 29,499,509 43,090,729 6,236,082 4,795,153 11,031,235 
			 2008-09 14,953,410 31,808,019 46,761,429 6,675,842 5,087,306 11,763,148 
			 2009-10 16,045,346 33,473,775 49,519,121 6,897,405 5,249,765 12,147,170 
			 2010-11 16,829,606 35,226,086 52,055,692 7,140,728 5,458,748 12,599,476 
		
	
	
		
			 Out-patient and in-patient hospital activity; England (provider based) 
			  Out-patients In-patients 
			  First attendances seen Subsequent attendances seen Total attendances seen Elective General and Acute FFCEs Non-elective General and Acute FFCEs Total General and Acute FFCEs 
			 2001-02 12,612,615 31,062,363 43,674,978 5,286,086 3,967,192 9,253,278 
			 2002-03 12,878,799 30,886,026 43,764,825 5,413,638 4,013,308 9,426,946 
			 2003-04 13,430,530 31,689,082 45,119,612 5,549,737 4,289,573 9,839,309 
			 2004-05 13,370,173 31,397,428 44,767,601 5,529,668 4,549,542 10,079,210 
			 2005-06 13,726,838 31,494,275 45,221,113 5,762,285 4,781,500 10,543,785 
			 2006-07 13,600,443 31,109,612 44,710,055 5,964,409 4,895,313 10,859,722 
			 2007-08 14,214,277 31,488,416 45,702,693 6,499,121 4,974,598 11,473,719 
			 2008-09 15,536,590 33,176,698 48,713,288 6,778,017 5,205,350 11,983,367 
			 2009-10 16,412,534 34,327,011 50,739,545 6,951,646 5,364,563 12,316,209 
			 2010-11 16,954,190 35,498,064 52,452,254 7,211,663 5,499,325 12,710,988 
			 Note: The out-patient attendances are for all specialties. The Inpatient First Finished Consultant Episodes (FFCEs) are for General and Acute specialties only. General and Acute does not include maternity, mental illness and learning disability. Commissioner based out-patient attendances were first collected in quarter 1 2005-06 and due to this being a new collection there were issues with data completeness. Source: Department of Health Quarterly Activity Return for outpatient attendances and Monthly Activity Return for Inpatient FFCEs.

Motor Neurone Disease: Swindon

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in South Swindon constituency have been diagnosed with motor neurone disease in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the count of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of motor neuron disease for Swindon primary care trust (PCT) (of residence)(3) for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11.
	
		
			 Count of finished consultant episodes (1)  (FCEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis (2)  of motor neuron disease for Swindon PCT (of residence) (3)  for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11 (4) , activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			 PCT of residence 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 
			 Swindon PCT 36 38 20 25 20 
			 (1) Finished consultant episode (FCE): A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Number of episodes in which the patient had a (named) primary or secondary diagnosis: the number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a hospital episode statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. ICD-10 codes used G12.2—motor neuron disease. 
		
	
	
		
			 (3) SHA/PCT of residence: The strategic health authority (SHA) or PCT containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. (4) Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Note: Activity included: Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Muscular Dystrophy

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Paul Burstow: It is the responsibility of health and care professionals, working in conjunction with patients and their families, to arrange the most appropriate health and social care for those living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
	A national neuromuscular work plan for the commissioning of specialised services is currently been consulted on prior to being finalised by April 2012.

Muscular Dystrophy

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to support research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Paul Burstow: The Department spent £0.4 million on directly-funded research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in 2010-11. A three-year project on advanced antisense oligonucleotide technology for exon skipping in DMD started in March 2011. The Department is contributing £1.5 million to this project, with joint funding from the Wellcome Trust.

NHS

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget was of each Regional Transition Programme Board in each year since its establishment.

Simon Burns: The regional transition programme is a local initiative that has been established by the North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA). As such, the information requested is not centrally held. The hon. Member may wish to write to the North East SHA, which may hold some relevant information.

NHS: Finance

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Easington of 18 January 2012, Official Report, column 874W, on NHS: capital investment, 
	(1)  whether any (a) decisions have been taken and (b) deadlines have been set at local level for the use of the funding;
	(2)  what the (a) amount and (b) source is of the identified capital funding to be made available to the NHS; which body or individual will be responsible for determining the use of the funding; and when he expects to announce plans for the use of the funding;
	(3)  with whom in the NHS he is having discussions.

Simon Burns: Departmental officials have been in discussion and working closely with strategic health authority (SHA) cluster colleagues, to establish exactly how this funding could be optimised to achieve best results. In parallel, SHA clusters have been liaising with their organisations and identifying proposals, based on local need, and prioritising them across their region. Any local deadlines are a matter for local determination. No decisions have been taken at this stage. Officials, together with SHA cluster colleagues, will determine the use of this funding and any announcements on this will be made shortly.
	It is currently expected that up to £300 million, which has been sourced from existing capital resources, will be invested by the end of March 2013. This will allow time for local investments to be properly planned and prioritised, ensuring the most effective use of this funding.

Osteoporosis: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he has issued to care homes on the prevention, treatment and care of fractures resulting from falls by people with osteoporosis.

Paul Burstow: The Department provides guidelines through the Department's falls and bone health commissioning toolkit. In addition, the National Hip Fracture Database, which audits the care of hip fracture patients, and the Royal College of Physicians' Falls and Bone health audit also apply to all care settings including care homes.

Osteoporosis: Swindon

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in South Swindon have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the count of finished consultant episodes(1) (FCEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis(2) of osteoporosis for Swindon primary care trust (PCT) (of residence)(3) for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11(4).
	
		
			 Count of finished consultant episodes (1)  (FCEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis (2)  of osteoporosis for Swindon PCT (of residence) (3)  for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11 (4) , activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			 PCT of residence 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 
			 Swindon PCT 1,114 645 585 577 453 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) Finished consultant episode (FCE): A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Number of episodes in which the patient had a (named) primary or secondary diagnosis: the number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a hospital episode statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. ICD-10 codes used: M80—Osteoporosis with pathological fracture M81—Osteoporosis without pathological fracture M82—Osteoporosis in diseases classified elsewhere (M82 only occurs in a secondary position after a dagger code identifying the underlying disease). (3) SHA/PCT of residence: The strategic health authority (SHA) or PCT containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. (4) Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Note: Activity included: Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Passive Smoking

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on emissions in residential areas from secondary smoking; whether such smoking constitutes a statutory nuisance; and whether he has considered amending regulations in respect of secondary smoking.

Anne Milton: The Department of Health has not specifically commissioned or evaluated research on the impact of second-hand smoke in residential areas.
	Under section 79(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a duty to take reasonably practicable steps to investigate complaints of smoke, fumes or gases “emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance”. Local authorities take into account a number of things when assessing if a statutory nuisance exists including the reasonableness of the activity being carried out, the time of day of the occurrence, its duration, its frequency of occurrence and whether or not best practicable means was being employed.
	If satisfied that a statutory nuisance exists or may occur or recur, the local authority must serve an abatement notice under section 80 of the Act requiring that the nuisance is abated or restricted within a set timescale to prevent its occurrence or recurrence. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs' recent survey of statutory nuisance complaints found that complaints were made to local authorities about cigarette smoke between 2008 and 2010 but we have no information on whether these were investigated under the statutory nuisance regime or found to be statutory nuisances.
	The evidence is clear that the legislation prohibiting smoking in almost all substantially enclosed public places and workplaces, introduced in England on 1 July 2007, has had beneficial effects on health. We also know that levels of compliance and public support for the law are high. The Government believe that the aims of the legislation continue to be effectively achieved and that there is no further need to review the legislation at this time.

Social Services: Finance

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has received from primary care trusts on plans for spending the 2011-12 NHS social care allocation; which services the money has been allocated to; and what proportion of the money is expected to be spent on older people.

Paul Burstow: The Department collected information from primary care trusts in September 2011 to understand how the transfer was progressing and on which services it was being used. The information suggests that the money is being used on a wide range of services. A full breakdown of this can be found in the NHS publication “The Quarter”, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The Department did not collect information on what proportion of the money is being spent on older people.

Sunbeds: Safety

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps the Government is taking to ensure that operators of sunbed salons provide protective eyewear for users of sunbeds in commercial settings in England;
	(2)  what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people under the age of 18 in England do not hire or buy sunbeds;
	(3)  what steps the Government is taking to prevent operators of sunbed salons in England from advertising the health benefits of sunbeds;
	(4)  what plans the Government has to ensure that sunbed salons in England are staffed.

Anne Milton: The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010, which came into effect on 8 April 2011 in England and Wales, makes it an offence for sunbed businesses to permit people under the age of 18 access to sunbeds on their commercial premises. The Act also contains powers to enact further regulations which include:
	the provision of protective eyewear for sunbed users by sunbed businesses;
	prohibiting the hire or sale of sunbeds to under-18s;
	preventing the sunbed businesses from advertising the health benefits of sunbeds; and
	requirement for staffing sunbed businesses.
	The powers to enact further regulations have not been used and the Government are not planning to introduce any further regulations for England at the present time. We will keep the position under review.
	The Health and Safety Executive provides best practice guidance for sunbed businesses “Reducing health risks from the use of ultraviolet (UV) tanning equipment” and a poster and leaflet with advice for operators and customers available at:
	www.hse.gov.uk/press/2009/e09038.htm
	The guidance includes reference to trained staff and the use of protective eyewear for customers and staff.
	SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention campaign, also provides information and advice about the risks to health of sunbeds at:
	www.sunsmart.org.uk/advice-and-prevention/sunbeds

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the merits of reintroducing school-based Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination.

Anne Milton: United Kingdom vaccination policy is based on the expert advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI has advised that the current approach is the most effective way to protect those most at risk of catching tuberculosis. The JCVI has issued a statement which explains its position, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The Committee most recently reviewed the policy in 2010 and will continue to keep it under review.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of children under one whose parents or grandparents were born in a country where the annual incidence of tuberculosis is greater than 40 cases per 100,000 received Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccinations in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what percentage of children under the age of one living in areas where the incidence of tuberculosis is over 40 cases per 100,00 population receive a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination.

Anne Milton: The Department of Health does not hold data on the proportion of children eligible to receive Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination.
	The NHS Information Centre publishes annually data on the number of BCG vaccinations administered nationally by age. These data show that in 2010-11, about 153,000 children aged under one year received the BCG vaccination.
	The data is published in the NHS Information Centre report, ‘NHS Immunisation Statistics England 2010-11’, with the data source given as the KC50.
	A copy has been placed in the Library.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how families were informed of their eligibility based on family history for Bacillus Calmette- Guérin vaccination in medium and low incidence areas in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to implement the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination programme and information on how families are informed of eligibility is not collected centrally. However, typically the national health service would inform them of their eligibility opportunistically, for example at antenatal clinics, new-birth home visits or when starting school.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department's guidance sets local eligibility for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination at 40 cases per 100,00 population; and whether in setting this level account was taken of the likelihood of tuberculosis spreading from medium to high risk areas in west London.

Anne Milton: United Kingdom vaccination policy is based on the expert advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). JCVI has advised that the current approach to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination is the most effective way to protect those most at risk of catching tuberculosis (TB).
	The current selective immunisation policy is designed to provide protection for those individuals who are at risk based on their family and/or residential circumstances e.g. if their parents of grandparents come from country that has a TB incidence rate equal to or greater than 40 cases per 100,000 population, which is the World Health Organisation threshold for indicating high TB incidence.
	Universal BCG vaccination is recommended in areas where the incidence is equal to or greater than 40 cases per 100,000 population for operational reasons since these areas generally have a high concentration of families who come from regions of the world where the TB incidence is high. This policy is based on geography in order to target vaccination to children who may be at increased risk of TB in an effective way. The policy does not imply that living in areas with, a high TB incidence puts all children at increased risk of TB infection. This is because most infections of children are likely to occur in household settings.

JUSTICE

Aiding and Abetting

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what representations he has received on joint enterprise in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what meetings he has had with victims groups on joint enterprise since May 2010.

Crispin Blunt: We have received a number of representations about joint enterprise law in the last three years. These have included concerns that the law allows some gang members involved in the commission of offences to escape conviction. Conversely, concerns have also been raised that other people have been imprisoned when their involvement in the activities of the group was not significant enough to warrant conviction. Ultimately, the decision to convict is for the jury, taking account of all the evidence heard at the trial.
	As my hon. Friend will recall, the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert), met with her and representatives of Families Fighting for Justice (FFJ) on 30 September 2010 to discuss joint enterprise law. I also met with FFJ and other victims groups on 16 June 2011. Details of all our meetings with external organisations are published on the Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/moj/index2011.htm

Community Orders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of (a) administering community orders and (b) running community-based punishments in 2011.

Crispin Blunt: As part of the Government's commitment to provide greater transparency, to enable the public to hold services to account and assess whether they are receiving value for money from the services we provide, NOMS will publish, in autumn 2012, three probation level input indicators one of which is the cost per community order. This will be the average, fully-apportioned cost to probation of delivering a community order or suspended sentence order sentence to the service definition as detailed in the NOMS service specification. This will include both managing the sentence and delivering court-ordered requirements. The costs of the latter will be derived from the average number and type of requirements attached to a sentence for an offender on each tier. These indicators will be based on costs from 2011-12.

Community Orders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders received (a) five or more, (b) 10 or more and (c) 15 or more community orders or punishments in 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows offenders of all ages sentenced to one or more community sentences in 2010, in England and Wales, as recorded on the police national computer. The figures relate to separate sentencing occasions in 2010; where an offender was sentenced on the same occasion for several offences it is the primary offence that has been counted. Where an offender has received several community sentences in the same year some of these may represent amendments or extensions to previous court orders rather than separate court orders. These are the latest available figures for a calendar year.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Offenders sentenced to one or more community sentences in 2010 
			 Number of community sentences Number of offenders 
			 One to four 144,745 
			 Five to nine 651 
			 10 to 14 10 
			 15 or more — 
			 Total 145,406

Community Orders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many offenders absconded from community punishments in each of the last five years; and what proportion of offenders serving community punishments that figure represents;
	(2)  how many offenders did not complete their community punishments in each of the last five years; and what proportion of offenders serving community punishments that figure represents.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the proportions of Community Orders terminated for various reasons (out of the total number which terminated) in each of the last five years. The reasons of ‘failure to comply with requirements’, ‘conviction of an offence’ and ‘other’ include all those offenders who did not complete their Community Orders successfully.
	From the data held centrally, it is not possible to identify separately those offenders who ‘absconded’ from supervision, but the proportion shown in the table for ‘failure to comply with requirements’ will include those offenders who never attended, or stopped attending, supervision or other appointments made as a requirement of their sentence. The term ‘abscond’ is more commonly used in relation to prisoners rather than those serving community sentences.
	
		
			 Percentage of terminations of Community Orders by reason, 2006 to 2010, England and Wales 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Ran their full course (percentage) 39 47 49 52 53 
			       
			 Terminated early for:      
			 Good progress (percentage) 13 10 11 12 12 
			 Failure to comply with requirements (percentage) 24 22 19 16 15 
			 Conviction of an offence (percentage) 14 12 11 10 10 
			 Other reasons (percentage) 10 10 10 10 10 
			       
			 All Community Orders (=100%) 70,577 113,829 124,411 130,533 130,474 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Court Orders: Compensation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many compensation orders were issued in each of the last three years; and what the total value of those compensation orders was.

Crispin Blunt: The number and total monetary value of compensation orders imposed at all courts for all offences in England and Wales in each year between 2008 and 2010 (latest currently available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
	
		
			 Number and total value of compensation (1)  orders imposed in all courts for all offences, England and Wales, 2008-10 (2,3) 
			  2008 2009 2010 
			 Number of orders made 244,282 157,410 154,428 
			 Total value(4) of orders made (£) 33,451,977.08 44,496,658.80 44,620,426.32 
			 (1) Including compensation orders given as second, third and fourth disposals for principal offences. (2) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (3) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed, Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Note that courts have the power to reduce or discharge the order at a subsequent date if the offender's circumstances change, therefore the amounts of compensation shown in this table are those imposed at the time of sentence. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice

Criminal Proceedings

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many 
	(1)  people pleaded guilty for each type of offence in (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  cases brought before magistrates courts have pleaded guilty in each year since 1997.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1, as follows, provides the number of defendants pleading guilty in the Crown court by offence, in England and Wales. This information is not available for defendants pleading in the magistrates courts for the years requested. The available statistics relate to the estimated proportion of defendants pleading guilty in the magistrates courts. These statistics are provided in Table 2 and Table 3, and are estimates sourced from the discontinued Time Interval Survey.
	Table 2 provides the estimated proportion of defendants who pleaded guilty at first hearing in the magistrates courts in England and Wales from 1997 to 2010. The proportion of defendants who pleaded guilty at the first hearing in the magistrates courts, by offence groupings is provided in Table 3.
	
		
			 Table 1: Defendants tried at the Crown court for all offences by plea, England and Wales 2010 (1, 2) 
			 Offence group Guilty Not  g uilty Not recorded Total 
			 Violence against the person 16,116 10,292 93 26, 501 
			 Sexual offences 2,676 4,277 39 6,992 
			 Burglary 7,413 2,014 20 9,447 
			 Robbery 4,864 2,437 18 7,319 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 7,046 2,832 18 9,896 
			 Fraud and forgery 6,031 1,707 23 7,761 
			 Criminal damage 1,423 623 29 2,075 
			 Drug offences 11,463 2,302 13 13,778 
			 Other indictable offences 11,385 4,467 44 15,896 
			 Indictable motoring offences 1,514 341 4 1,859 
			 Summary offences excluding motoring 4,022 404 5 4,431 
		
	
	
		
			 Summary motoring offences 425 37 — 462 
			 All offences 74,378 31,733 306 106,417 
			 (1 )The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: All defendants in criminal cases in the magistrates courts: plea at initial hearing, by offence group. England and Wales, 2010 and 2011 (combined) (1, 2, 3) 
			 Percentage 
			 Offence group Initial guilty plea at first hearing Initial not guilty plea at first hearing Initial no plea at first hearing Committed/sent for trial at first hearing 
			 Violence against the person 32 30 20 18 
			 Sex Offences 19 12 22 46 
			 Robbery 14 12 14 59 
			 Burglary 36 16 18 31 
			 Theft and Handling Stolen Goods 67 10 19 4 
			 Fraud and Forgery 35 12 26 27 
			 Criminal Damage 59 17 21 3 
			 Drug Offences 66 5 16 14 
			 Other Indictable 31 14 25 30 
			 Indictable Motoring Offences 53 10 18 19 
			 Summary offences excluding motoring 33 10 56 1 
			 Summary motoring 48 8 44 0 
			 All offences 44 11 40 5 
			 (1 )Results are based on all completed criminal proceedings in all magistrates courts in England  Wales during one sample survey periods in March and September in 2010 and March 2011. (2 )All defendants refer to adult and youth defendants. (3 )Plea data are based on the initial plea when the trial was first listed/heard. The survey does not collect information on the plea after the first hearing. Source: Time Interval Survey—Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: All defendants in all criminal cases, estimated proportion of pleas at initial hearing at magistrates courts, England and Wales, 1997 to March 201l (1, 2, 3) 
			 Percentage 
			  Initial guilty plea at first hearing Initial not guilty plea at first hearing Initial no plea at first hearing Committed/sent for trial at first hearing 
			 1997 33 5 58 3 
			 1998 35 5 58 3 
			 1999 34 9 56 1 
			 2000 37 13 49 1 
			 2001 39 7 52 2 
			 2002 37 8 54 2 
			 2003 37 8 53 2 
			 2004 39 9 50 2 
			 2005 40 9 48 2 
			 2006 41 10 46 3 
			 2007 40 10 47 3 
			 2008 44 10 42 4 
			 2009 43 10 43 4 
			 2010 44 11 41 5 
			 2011(4) 45 11 39 5 
			 (1) Includes adult and youth defendants. (2 )Estimates based on one week sample for all defendants in criminal proceedings that were completed in the magistrates courts. (3 )Between 1997 and 1999, the results are based on one week period of each June. 1999 is a transitional period and results are now based on two surveys. Those are conducted in February and September. Thereafter, all criminal cases are collected in March and September. (4 )The Time Interval Survey was discontinued and estimates arc based on the last survey in March 2011. Source: Time Interval Survey—Ministry of Justice

Criminal Proceedings

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average number of weeks from charge to a case being heard was for each type of offence triable in (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 provides the average length of time in weeks from: (i) the date of offence to the date of charge/laying of information; (ii) the date of charge/laying of information to the date of completion; and (iii) the date of offence to the date of completion. This is provided for: (a) cases completing in the Crown court and; (b) cases completing in the magistrates court, for the financial year from 2010-11, the latest financial year for which figures are available.
	These statistics are sourced from the administrative data systems used in the courts, and have been produced by linking together records held on the two datasets.
	Summary statistics on the timeliness of criminal proceedings in the magistrates courts and Crown court are published by the Ministry of Justice in the statistical bulletins Court Statistics Quarterly. Statistics for the quarter July to September 2011 were published on 12 January on the Department's website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-quarterly.htm
	
		
			 Table 1: Magistrates and Crown courts, all defendants (1)  in criminal cases by offence group, England and Wales: timeliness stages (average weeks) from offence and charge to completion, financial year 2010-11 
			 All criminal cases 
			 Offence group Offence to charge/laying of information (weeks) Charge/laying of information to completion (weeks) Offence to completion (weeks) (2) 
			 (a) Proceedings completing in the Crown court (3)    
			 Burglary 8 20 28 
			 Criminal damage 9 27 36 
			 Drug offences 15 26 41 
			 Fraud and forgery 72 28 100 
			 Indictable motoring offences 9 25 34 
			 Robbery 8 25 32 
			 Sexual offences 51 33 84 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 22 27 49 
			 Violence against the person 10 29 38 
			 Other indictable offences 20 29 49 
			 Summary motoring cases 4 17 21 
			 Summary non-motoring cases 8 17 25 
			 All criminal cases 19 27 46 
			     
			 (b) Proceedings completing in the magistrates court (4)    
			 Burglary 7 7 14 
			 Criminal damage 4 8 13 
			 Drug offences 5 5 10 
			 Fraud and forgery 52 11 62 
			 Indictable motoring offences 13 14 27 
			 Robbery 6 11 17 
			 Sexual offences 17 14 31 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 4 6 10 
			 Violence against the person 5 9 14 
			 Other indictable offences 13 11 23 
			 Summary motoring cases 15 9 24 
			 Summary non-motoring cases 11 8 19 
			 All criminal cases 12 8 20 
			 (1) All defendants refer to adult and youth defendants. (2) Figures have been rounded to the nearest week. Intermediate stages may not add up to the total offence to completion, due to rounding. (3) The offence group is taken from data collected at the magistrates court, therefore some cases, such as summary offences may have been upgraded by the time they reach the Crown court. (4) Includes all cases concluded in the magistrates courts during the specified time period and excludes cases completed in magistrates court but not completed in the Crown court. Data are sourced from the linked administrative court data and includes around 95% of completed proceedings. These data are only available from April 2010. Source: Libra MIS Timeliness Analysis Report (TAR) and CREST linked court data, HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Criminal Proceedings: Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost per day was of a case heard in a (a) magistrates court and (b) Crown court in each year between 1997 and 2011 inclusive.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Court and Tribunal Service, HMCTS, has no court cost statistics prior to the creation of Her Majesty's Court Service on 1 April 2005. Prior to financial year 2009-10, financial systems did not support the jurisdictional analyses that are the basis of current costings. It is therefore not possible to provide meaningful comparatives for the average cost per hearing day for earlier years.
	Courts average cost per hearing day are as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 
			 (a) Magistrates court 1,341 1,323 
			 (b) Crown court 2,043 2,021 
		
	
	Costs are judicial, administration and court costs incurred directly by the courts, excluding overheads and depreciation.

Departmental Contracts

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much Sodexo has paid for carrying out police national computer checks on visitors to Bronzefield prison.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is not available and to extract the data from financial reports would result in disproportionate cost.

Offenders: National Insurance

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prisoners released did not have a National Insurance number in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not collect this information.

Prison Sentences

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women have been sentenced to an extended sentence for public protection in each year since 2005.

Crispin Blunt: The number of males and females sentenced to immediate custody at all courts and, of these, the number who received an extended sentence of imprisonment, in England and Wales, from 2005 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
	
		
			 Number of males and females sentenced to immediate custody at all courts and, of these, the number sentenced to an extended sentence of imprisonment, England and Wales, 2005-10 (1,2) 
			   Immediate custody 
			    Of which: 
			 Sex Year Number sentenced Extended sentence of imprisonment (3,4) 
			 Males 2005 92,955 1,461 
			  2006 88,173 1,266 
			  2007 87,371 1,103 
			  2008(5) 90,812 653 
			  2009(6) 91,801 422 
			  2010 93,021 438 
			     
			 Females 2005 8,281 32 
			  2006 7,844 33 
			  2007 7,795 27 
			  2008(5) 8,359 18 
			  2009(6) 8,100 12 
			  2010 8,196 15 
			     
			 All persons(7) 2005 101,236 1,493 
			  2006 96,017 1,299 
			  2007 95,206 1,130 
			  2008(5) 99,525 671 
			  2009(6) 100,231 434 
			  2010 101,513 453 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Where males or females under the age of 21 are included in these figures they will have been sentenced to detention. (4) Persons whose offences were committed prior to 4 April 2005 will have been sentenced to an extended sentence under s85 of Powers of the Criminal Court (Sentencing) Act 2000. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (6) Revisions have been made to 2009 figures to account for the late receipt of a small number of court records. (7) Includes persons where sex is 'not stated', therefore 'males' and 'females' figures may not add to 'All persons' totals. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Prisoners’ Home Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2012, Official Report, columns 862-63W, on prisoners’ home leave, on how many occasions restricted patients released into the community have reoffended.

Crispin Blunt: It is not possible to provide the information requested on the number of restricted patients who have committed further offences either on community leave or when conditionally discharged, without a manual check of over 6,000 files at disproportionate cost.
	Among all restricted patients who were discharged from hospital for the first time between 1999 and 2007, 5.8% were reconvicted within two years of their discharge.

Prisoners’ Release

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of those serving custodial sentences were released after serving half of their sentence in each year between 1995 and 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the percentage of prisoners serving determinate sentences who were released prior to the half-way point of the sentence under the two principal early release schemes that have operated during this period, and thereby indicates the proportion that were released on or after the half-way point. It relates to those serving determinate sentences only. Those serving indeterminate sentences are released from prison only after they have served the minimum period in custody (tariff) set by the court. Data prior to 1998 are not held centrally; figures for 2011 are not yet available.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Prisoners are released in accordance with the legislation that applies to their sentence and there have been various statutory release regimes operating during the period 1995 to 2011 which are explained as follows.
	The Criminal Justice Act 1967 applied to prisoners sentenced before 1 October 1992. Such prisoners were eligible for parole from the one-third point of their sentence and therefore could be released before the half-way point if this was agreed by the Parole Board. If not granted parole they were released automatically at the two-thirds point of the sentence. Since 1992 the number of prisoners eligible for release under the 1967 Act regime has diminished to only a handful currently.
	Prisoners sentenced after 1 October 1992 are subject to the release regimes of the Criminal Justice Acts of 1991 or 2003 (or the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in the case of young offenders serving Detention and Training Orders (DTOs)).
	Throughout the period in question, therefore, the overwhelming majority of prisoners have been subject to the 1991 and 2003 Act regimes. These require the release of all determinate sentence prisoners automatically at the half-way point, subject to any days added for breaches of prison discipline. There are two exceptions where release may take place after the half-way point involving an increasingly small pool of offenders serving long sentences subject to the 1991 Act regime or extended sentences imposed before 14 July 2008.
	A number of schemes have operated during this period under which certain prisoners may be released before the half-way point is reached.
	Since 1999, short-term, low-risk prisoners have been considered for release under the home detention curfew (HDC) scheme, which requires them to reside at an approved address generally for 12 hours per day, subject to electronic monitoring and recall to prison for failing to comply with the scheme. All registered sex offenders and violent offenders serving extended sentences are excluded from HDC, specified violent and previous sexual offenders not required to register are presumed unsuitable and all prisoners must pass an individual risk assessment before HDC may be granted.
	There is a similar release scheme available to young people sentenced to Detention and Training Orders. Young people sentenced to DTOs serve the first half of their sentence in custody and the second half in the community. Where the Order is for at least eight months there is a presumption that the young person will be released one or two months prior to the half-way point unless they are serving a sentence for specific sexual or violent offences or their behaviour and/or progress against their training plan is unsatisfactory. Data on early release from DTO is not collated separately but in 2010-11 there were around 1,110 young offenders in custody serving a DTO.
	Between June 2007 and March 2010, when the scheme was withdrawn, prisoners who met the eligibility criteria serving sentences between four weeks and four years were released under temporary licence 18 days prior to the half-way point of the sentence under the End of Custody Licence Scheme.
	Finally, since 2005, foreign national prisoners eligible for removal from the UK could be deported or removed prior to the half-way point of the sentence under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS). Data on ERS has not been collated over this period but, in 2010, the UK Border Agency removed or deported 5,235 foreign national prisoners, around a third under ERS.
	
		
			 Prisoners released from determinate sentences, 1998  to 2010 
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Total number released(1) 79,000 85,500 86,200 83,100 86,400 84,800 86,100 84,200 82,400 85,500 94,900 91,200 89,700 
			               
			 Releases on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) — 14,847 15,510 13,649 20,456 21,188 19,294 17,296 13,666 11,428 11,721 11,534 12,250 
			 Releases on End of Custody Licence (ECL) — — — — — — — — — 16,197 31,318 29,371 4,692 
			               
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage HDC releases — 17 78 16 24 25 22 21 17 13 12 13 14 
			 Percentage ECL releases — — — — — — — — — 19 33 32 5 
			               
			 Releases not on HDC or ECL(1, 2) — 70,600 70,700 69,500 65,900 63,600 66,800 66,900 68,700 57,900 51,900 50,300 72,700 
			               
			 Percentage releases not HDC or ECL(2) — 83 82 84 76 75 78 79 83 68 55 55 81 
			 (1) Figures for the total number of releases and releases not on HDC or ECL are rounded to the nearest 100. (2) Includes a very small number of prisoners released prior to the half-way point under (a) the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1967; (b) the Early Removal Scheme for foreign national prisoners; and (c) the early release scheme for Detention and Training Orders.

Prisoners’ Release

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average additional time spent in custody was for people recalled to prison in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is not routinely collected, however, based on a one-off analysis of those recalled to prison in 2008, the average time spent in custody was estimated to be around eight months. This average figure excludes fixed term recalls, under which offenders spend a fixed period of up to 28 days in custody on recall.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Finance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what budget his Department plans to allocate to each prison in each of the next five years.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is as follows:
	Financial years 2012-13 to 2017-18
	Spending review 2010 agreed MOJ's budget up to 2014-15; however, detailed allocations are done only on an annual basis. NOMS are in the process of allocating 2012-13 budgets to individual prisons and will agree this before the start of the financial year.

Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people have been charged with (a) control for gain of prostitution and (b) other offences related to trafficking in the London area since Specialist Crime Division 9 in the Metropolitan Police was created;
	(2)  how many prosecutions there have been for trafficking-related offences in the London area since Specialist Crime Division 9 in the Metropolitan Police was created.

Crispin Blunt: Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, in the Metropolitan Police force area, for human trafficking offences, from 1 April (when Specialist Crime Directorate 9 was created) to 31 December 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Data provided may or may not have resulted from operations conducted by the Specialist Crime Directorate 9.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 will be available in May 2012.
	Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts in the Metropolitan Police force area for human trafficking offences (1)  from 1 April to 31 December 2010 (2,3,4) 
			  Defendants 
			 Metropolitan Police force area 7 
			 (1) Includes offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants Act) 2004. (2) The Specialist Crime Directorate 9 was created on 1 April 2010. Data given in the table may or may not have resulted from operations conducted by this directorate. (3) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Sentencing

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made in its review of community sentences.

Crispin Blunt: We are currently developing proposals to reform sentences in the community and intend to publish those for a period of consultation in due course.

Tribunals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will review the arrangements by which first tier tribunals (tax) operate in cases where one party is unable to attend a tribunal hearing; and if he will consider introducing measures to keep a verbatim record of tribunal hearings when one party is absent;
	(2)  what the average length of time taken for a judge to give judgment on a first tier tribunal (tax) case after a hearing has taken place was in 2011.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is as follows:
	(1) The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), currently has no plans to review the arrangements by which first tier tribunals (tax) operate in cases where one party is unable to attend a tribunal hearing. The First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) can hear an appeal in a party's absence if the tribunal is satisfied that both (a) the party has been served with notice of the hearing (or reasonable steps have been taken to notify him/her) and (b) it is in the interests of justice to do so. These provisions are detailed in the procedure rules that support the Tax Chamber: The Tribunals Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Tax Chamber) Rules 2008. The decision to proceed in the absence of a party is a judicial one and not an administrative one. Either party has the option of submitting an application to postpone the hearing, which the tribunal will consider on its merits.
	The Secretary of State for Justice has no plans to introduce measures to keep a verbatim record of tribunal hearings when one party is absent. The First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) does not have the facility to make a verbatim transcript of hearings before it. The judge is expected to make a note of the proceedings, but it is a note and not a verbatim record.
	(2) The First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) does not report on the average time taken from the date of the hearing to the date of promulgation of the decision. It is not possible to obtain such data without disproportionate cost. In addition any figures would tend to be misleading as the average time would cover all appeals ranging from straightforward cases where a judgment can be given on the day of the hearing to complex appeals heard by a panel of three where a judgment may necessarily take some months, and may be seen in draft by the parties prior to its issue.
	We have however recently published Quarterly Tribunals Statistics for the period 1 July to 30 September 2011. Table 1.4 of the publication
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/tribs-stats/quarterly-tribs-stats-q2-11-12.pdf
	provides information on the following performance measures for the First Tier (Tax) Tribunal:
	The percentage of standard/complex cases disposed of within 70 weeks of receipt (58% disposed of in 70 weeks in Quarter 2)
	The percentage of paper cases disposed of in 20 weeks (88% disposed of in 20 weeks in Quarter 2); and
	The percentage of basic cases disposed of in 20 weeks (76% disposed of in 20 weeks in Quarter 2).

Youth Custody

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure each (a) youth offending team and (b) young offender institution has a children's council.

Crispin Blunt: The Youth Justice Board encourage all youth offending teams to fully take into account the views of children and young people. The decision on whether a children's council or an equivalent body is the best means of achieving this are made at a local level.
	The regimes provided in each under-18 young offender institution are governed by Prison Service Instruction 28/2009 ‘Care and Management of Young People’. That instruction mandates that all governors must have in place arrangements for consulting all young people about a range of issues through bodies such as representative consultative groups which meet regularly and must provide them with information about those arrangements. Prison Service Instruction 28/2009 has recently been reviewed and its replacement will be published in the spring. The replacement Prison Service instruction retains the instruction, which mandates consultative groups as outlined above.

Youth Custody: Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to provide access to full-time education for children serving community or custodial sentences.

Crispin Blunt: Young persons of compulsory school age who are serving community sentences are expected to be in full-time education in the community. Youth offending teams work closely with local authorities and schools on interventions designed to ensure that young offenders are attending school and addressing their learning needs. Young persons held in the secure estate have access to a full day of education and constructive activity and receive an individual learning plan to address their learning needs and objectives while in custody.

Youth Custody: Mental Health Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure a child psychologist is in place in every youth offending team.

Crispin Blunt: Health services are a statutory partner of the youth offending team as set out by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. We expect youth offending teams to have access to all services relevant to ensuring that young people are appropriately assessed and receive interventions suitable to their needs. The most recent audit of youth offending team health workers (2009) found that 151 youth offending teams (out of a total of 157 at that time) had a practitioner seconded from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) through whom access to a range of professionals, including a child psychologist, would be available.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account is taken of the levels of duty which are in operation in other countries when assessing the level of air passenger duty.

Chloe Smith: The Government continues to monitor developments in other countries and are aware that several have recently introduced their own passenger taxes. Many other countries also charge VAT on flights, which the UK does not. The Government have also made clear that air passenger duty is primarily a revenue raising duty which makes an important contribution to the public finances.

Bank Services: Low Incomes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to provide information for the (a) long-term unemployed and (b) lower earners on the benefits and discounts of opening bank accounts to set up direct debits.

Mark Hoban: The Money Advice Service was established as the Consumer Financial Education Body in April 2010 to promote understanding of the financial system and raise levels of financial capability across the UK. It offers free and impartial information and advice to consumers on money matters.
	The Money Advice Service offers a range of online information available to all consumers which includes advice on opening bank accounts. Full details are available on the Money Advice Service website
	http://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/

Departmental Drinks

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies have spent on (i) wine, (ii) other alcoholic refreshments and (iii) bottled water since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 26 January 2012
	A record of wine, other alcoholic refreshments and bottled water is not held centrally and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Economic Situation: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish the Government's response to the consultation on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy.

David Gauke: The Government published their response to the consultation, ‘Rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy: summary of consultation responses’, on 20 December 2011. The document is available on the HM Treasury website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/condoc_responses_rebalancing_ni_economy.pdf

Excise Duties: Beer

Bob Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce the rate at which duty is applied to beer in order to increase the competitiveness of the UK brewing industry in Europe.

Chloe Smith: Alcohol excise duty is levied on all beer that is consumed in the UK, whether it is domestically produced or imported from abroad. UK beer exports to Europe do not pay UK excise duty, but are liable for excise duties in the country they are destined for.
	The revenues from alcohol excise duty make an important contribution to reducing the deficit. Decisions about tax policy are a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget process.

Freedom of Information

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury does not publish the responses to all Freedom of Information Act requests that it receives. Responses are published, on the FOI disclosure log linked from the home page of the HM Treasury public website, if the information released is considered to be of wider public interest. Publication usually occurs on the same day as the response is sent out.

Income Tax

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women in (i) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (ii) the London borough of Bexley have (A) overpaid and (B) underpaid income tax in the last three years.

David Gauke: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost as the relevant HMRC systems do not include details of taxpayers' parliamentary constituency.

Local Government Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has assessed the likely efficacy of a local authorities bond market to finance local capital expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: Local authorities are free to use municipal bonds to finance capital investment. It is for local authorities to decide the most appropriate means of financing local capital projects. In doing so, local authorities should consider factors such as market conditions, value for money, product flexibility and administrative costs.

Portacabins

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the green portacabins on King Charles street will be removed before the commencement of the Olympics.

Chloe Smith: The portacabins belong to Westminster city council.

Private Finance Initiative

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has put in place to control private finance initiative contracts.

Danny Alexander: Those projects that have not yet reached financial close are subject to the new assurance and approval arrangements introduced by the Treasury and the Cabinet Office in April 2011. The Major Project approval and assurance guidance can be accessed at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/major_projects_approvals_assurance_guidance.PDF
	In respect of signed PFI contracts, in July 2011 the Treasury announced a plan to deliver £1.5 billion of savings across the operational PFI projects in England. These savings can be fully recycled back into frontline services by the contracting authority.

Private Finance Initiative: Inflation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with (a) local authorities, (b) local health authorities and (c) education bodies to ensure that inflation is not added into private finance initiative contracts.

Danny Alexander: The Treasury makes its guidance on the value for money considerations of inflation indexing the unitary charge available to all procuring authorities at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_finance_guidance.htm

Public Sector: Pensions

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral statements of 2 November 2011, Official Report, columns 927-29, and of 20 December 2011, Official Report, columns 1201-4, on public sector pensions, if he will provide a definition of the term accrued rights as used in the statements.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 26 January 2012
	The meaning of the term accrued rights as used in the oral statements referred to is as set out in the oral statement of 2 November 2011, Official Report, columns 927-29:
	Everything that public servants have earned until the point of change, they will keep, and those things will be paid out in the terms expected and at the retirement age expected.

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the overall change in expected total expenditure on (a) social security, (b) tax credits, (c) unemployment benefit and (d) housing benefit between 2011-12 and 2015-16 as a result of changes to fiscal forecasts between (i) June 2010 and November 2011, (ii) November 2010 and November 2011 and (iii) March 2011 and November 2011.

David Gauke: The estimates of changes in social security and tax credits between 2011-12 and 2015-16 are set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility in their ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’ and accompanying supplementary fiscal tables, which are available on their website for each forecast made in June 2010, November 2010, March 2011 and November 2011:
	June 2010 ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’
	Table C14:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/junebudget_annexc.pdf
	November 2010 ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’
	Tables 4.16 and 4.17:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/econ_fiscal_outlook_291110.pdf
	Table 1.4:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/pubs/fiscal_supplementary_tables_291110.xls
	March 2011 ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’
	Tables 4.18 and 4.19:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/economic_and_fiscal_outlook_23032011.pdf
	Tables 2.9, 2.11 and 2.13:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/pubs/obr_fiscal_supplementary_tables1.xls
	November 2011 ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’
	Tables 4.21 and 4.22:
	http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/Autumn2011EFO_web_version138469072346.pdf
	Tables 2.11 and 2.12:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/pubs/Fiscal-Supplementary-Tables-AS11.xls
	Breakdowns of the forecasts for the DWP social security benefits, which include forecasts for unemployment benefit and housing benefit, are shown on the DWP website and are available for each of the OBR forecasts made in June 2010, November 2010, March 2011 and November 2011:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=medium_term

Tax Yields

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the overall change in expected total 
	(1)  tax revenue between 2011-12 and 2015-16 arising from changes to fiscal forecasts between (a) June 2010 and November 2011, (b) November 2010 and November 2011 and (c) March 2011 and November 2011;
	(2)  revenue from (a) VAT, (b) income tax, (c) national insurance contributions, (d) corporation tax, (e) capital gains tax, (f) fuel duties and (g) business rates between 2011-12 and 2015-16 arising from changes to fiscal forecasts between (i) June 2010 and November 2011, (ii) November 2010 and November 2011 and (iii) March 2011 and November 2011.

David Gauke: Changes in total receipts and particular revenue streams between each fiscal forecast are set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) in their ‘Changes to current receipts’ tables published in successive “Economic and fiscal outlooks”.
	OBR “Economic and fiscal outlook” publications are available on the OBR's website:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/

Taxation: Profit Sharing

David Ward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the tax treatment of employee benefit trusts to encourage employee ownership of companies.

David Gauke: The Government have no immediate plan to review the tax treatment of employee benefit trust arrangements to encourage employee ownership of companies.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to measure progress on the implementation of policies supporting the big society initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury monitors spending on core big society and Office for Civil Society programmes.
	The Department is also involved in work, led by Cabinet Office, to implement the Government's open public services agenda, including several policies supporting the big society initiative. The progress made in relation to the open public services agenda will be detailed in a forthcoming publication.
	Further to this, HM Treasury has joint responsibility with the Cabinet Office for the departmental business plan framework. This framework is key to monitoring delivery of business plans across Government, some of which track progress on policies that are central to supporting the big society initiative. Business plans will be updated in spring 2012.

VAT: Internet

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reconsider his requirement for VAT returns to be made online by April 2012 for small traders in (a) rural and (b) other areas without good broadband access.

David Gauke: From April 2012 virtually all VAT-registered businesses will have to file VAT returns online.
	Broadband is not required to file a VAT return. HMRC VAT filing software can be used with dial-up internet connections.
	HMRC has put in place extensive support to enable customers to go online, and has also worked with third parties (such as UK Online, national and regional trade and enterprise bodies, and the bookkeeping and agent organisations) to ensure that support is in place for those who need it. HMRC has published details of all the help and support available to VAT customers moving to online filing on the ‘What's New’ section of its website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/index.htm